J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE: JCP) has been named to the 2009 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) of the leading companies in North America for corporate sustainability and has also ranked No. 44 in Newsweek magazine's inaugural Green Rankings, which selected the 500 "Greenest Big Companies in America."

"Being named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and included in Newsweek's first Green Rankings is welcome recognition for the work being done by our Associates across the Company to incorporate sustainable practices into our business," said Myron E. (Mike) Ullman III, chairman and chief executive officer. "Operating in an environmentally and socially responsible manner benefits our business, our customers and our communities, and it's integral to achieving our goal to become America's preferred place to shop."

The DJSI North America selects the top 20 percent of companies in sustainability performance from the 600 largest companies in North America. Launched in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. They provide asset managers with reliable and objective benchmarks to manage sustainability portfolios. According to Dow Jones, corporate sustainability leaders achieve long-term shareholder value by "gearing their strategies and management to harness the market's potential for sustainability products and services while successfully reducing and avoiding sustainability costs and risks."

Newsweek magazine worked with leading environmental researchers KLD Research & Analytics, Trucost, and CorporateRegister.com to rank the 500 largest U.S. companies based on their actual environmental performance, policies, and reputation. For more on the rankings, visit greenrankings.newsweek.com.

JCPenney's sustainability efforts build on its corporate social responsibility platform - JCPenney C.A.R.E.S. - which addresses the five key areas of Community, Associates, Responsible Sourcing, Environment and Sustainable Products. Central to these efforts is the involvement of the Company's 150,000 Associates in carrying out a wide range of initiatives that deliver both environmental and business benefits, including:

• Energy Management - JCPenney is a pioneer among national retailers in supporting initiatives to manage energy usage and the resulting environmental impacts. Over the past several years the Company has invested more than $130 million to install energy management technology, more efficient lighting and high-efficiency heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in its stores. In 2008, the Company reduced energy use and comparable CO2 emissions across its building portfolio by more than 80 million pounds, and in 2009, JCPenney earned the prestigious ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award - the first retailer to be so honored for using energy efficiently in facility operations and integrating superior energy management into its overall organizational strategy.


• Transportation - JCPenney is committed to promoting greater efficiency and reduced environmental impact from the movement of goods through the supply chain. The Company is engaged in efforts to reduce "empty miles" on its third-party shipping carriers' truck delivery routes, employs an industry leading transportation management system and is working with its shipping carriers to put new, cleaner trucks into service at major port facilities. JCPenney joined the EPA's SmartWay(SM) Transport Partnership program in 2006 and this month received its second SmartWay Excellence Award.


• Recycling - All JCPenney stores recycle about 75 percent of their waste, and the average for its logistics facilities is 80 percent. In 2008, JCPenney stores and logistics centers recycled approximately 93,500 tons of cardboard and 13,000 tons of plastic, including an estimated 165 million plastic clothes hangers. The Company additionally manages recycling programs for paper and ink cartridges, light bulbs and lighting ballasts, batteries, computers and other electronic devices. A Company-wide packaging organization has been developed to focus on innovation, packaging reduction and the use of recycled materials. JCPenney also accepts disposable plastic shopping bags at its stores for recycling, and its stylish reusable shopping bags have been a hit with customers, selling more than 700,000 units since their introduction in August 2008.


• Renewable Energy - Nine JCPenney stores in California and New Jersey currently host rooftop solar power systems producing a total of 3.7 megawatts of electricity, and a pilot program is under way for the first commercial test of innovative, building-mounted wind turbines on the JCPenney logistics facility in Reno, Nev.


• Building Greener Buildings - All newly constructed JCPenney stores incorporate a number of sustainable features, and in July the Company opened its first store submitted for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. LEED-EB (Existing Building) certification is also being sought for JCPenney's 1.9-million-square-foot home office and the Reno logistics facility. JCPenney is one of several leading companies selected to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy's Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative to achieve cost-effective energy savings through innovation.

About JCPenney C.A.R.E.S.
JCPenney has built a legacy of operating in an ethical and socially responsible manner. In 2007, the Company launched its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative - C.A.R.E.S. - stemming from the vision that JCPenney cares for its Community, Associates, Responsible Sourcing, Environment and Sustainable Products. The Company's commitment to social responsibility reflects its philosophy that "Every Day Matters" - for its customers, Associates, communities, investors and suppliers. Additional information on JCPenney's CSR initiatives can be found at http://www.jcpenney.net/social_resp/

About JCPenney
JCPenney is one of America's leading retailers, operating 1,109 department stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as one of the largest apparel and home furnishing sites on the Internet, www.jcp.com, and the nation's largest general merchandise catalog business. Through these integrated channels, JCPenney offers a wide array of national, private and exclusive brands which reflect the Company's commitment to providing customers with style and quality at a smart price. Traded as "JCP" on the New York Stock Exchange, the Company posted revenue of $18.5 billion in 2008 and is executing its strategic plan to be the growth leader in the retail industry. Key to this strategy is JCPenney's "Every Day Matters" brand positioning, intended to generate deeper, more emotionally driven relationships with customers by fully engaging the Company's 150,000 Associates to offer encouragement, provide ideas and inspire customers every time they shop with JCPenney.

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