WHAT:

Sustainability and Reporting Conference Reporting: a Measure of Sustainability and launch of the new G3 Reporting Guidelines

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the global voluntary framework for sustainability reporting, is holding a major conference next week, 4-6 October, in Amsterdam. More than 100 speakers from business, civil society, labor and government, from developed and developing countries, will join executives from around the world - including board members, CEOs, COOs and CFOs - who are leaders in sustainable development. See http://www.griG3.org/programme.html

GRI will launch the new G3 Guidelines on Thursday 5 Oct. The new G3 Guidelines make reporting simpler, are better harmonized with the UN Global Compact and other tools, and make GRI reports more useful for investors and analysts focused on corporate governance. See the Journalist Brief at http://www.griG3.org/press.html

Already nearly 1000 organizations report using GRI, including corporations like Microsoft, Nike, ABN Amro, Petrobras, Gap and Novartis. The G3 Guidelines represent three years of input from thousands of global stakeholders from business and civil society.

WHO:

Business and civil society speakers:

Al Gore, Chair, Generation Investment Management, former USA Vice President Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, Chairman, Anglo American, Former Chair Shell Margot Wallström, Vice President, European Commission Sean Harrigan, former President CALPERS Stuart Hart, Samuel Johnson Professor, Cornell University Richard Edelman, Edelman USA Achim Steiner, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Program Leo van Wijk, CEO, KLM Group Mervyn E. King, First Vice President, Institute of Directors Björn Stigson, President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development Hugh Y. Scott-Barrett, Chief Financial Officer, ABN AMRO Bank Gerd Leipold, Executive Director, Greenpeace International A.N.Singh, Deputy Managing Director, Tata Steel Limited Gerard Kleisterlee, CEO Royal Philips Electronics Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director, Oxfam International Ricardo Young, President of the Board of Directors, Instituto Ethos, Brazil Dan Gagnier, Senior Vice President, Alcan, Canada

For a full list of speakers see http://www.grig3.org/speakers.html

ACCREDITATION:

Journalists are welcome to attend the conference free of charge, after first registering for accreditation. E-mail your details to coogan@globalreporting.org to be accredited.

MEDIA CONFERENCES:

Thursday 5 Oct, Amsterdam 1600 - 1700 local CET (1500 GMT, 1000 ET USA and Canada), Okura Hotel, Ferdinand Bolstraat 333, Amsterdam. Journalists can dial-in to the conference by telephone. Dial +31 20 531 5846, reference code 500 2066

Leading business speakers will say the time has come for ALL businesses to report their sustainability and to use the GRI Guidelines. Speakers will include:

Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, Chairman, Anglo American, former Chair Shell; Sean Harrigan, former President CALPERS; Achim Steiner, Executive Director, UN Environment Program Mervyn King, Institute of Directors, King 2 corporate governance standard; Dr. Judy Henderson, Board Chair, Global Reporting Initiative; and Ernst Ligteringen, Chief Executive, Global Reporting Initiative.

Tuesday 3 Oct, Amsterdam 1100-1200 local CET, GRI Office, Keizersgracht 209, Amsterdam. Media Conference, GRI Office, Amsterdam, Tuesday 3 Oct , 1100 - 1200:

Panel includes:

Peter Blom, CEO Triodos, leading Netherlands sustainable development advocate Sandrijn Weites, Senior Vice President, Sustainability Strategy & Reporting, ABN AMRO Bank Ricardo Santos Azevedo, Executive Manager, Health, Security and the Environment, Petrobras, Brazil Dr. Judy Henderson, Board Chair, Global Reporting Initiative; and Ernst Ligteringen, Chief Executive, Global Reporting Initiative. Panel will discuss the development of GRI and the future of sustainability reporting.

See http://www.grig3.org/press.htm for details. Contact coogan@globalreporting.org

WHERE:

Hotel Okura, Ferdinand Bolstraat 333, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

WHEN:

October 4-6, 2006

CONTACT:

Andrew Coogan Conference Media and Communications Manager Global Reporting Initiative Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tel: + 31 20 531 0018 Mob: +31 625 080 698 coogan@globalreporting.org

See also www.grig3.org for more information on the G3 launch and conference, and www.globalreporting.org for more information on GRI