The Hague, 25 November 2009

On 25 November 2009, ASN Bank adopted the Equator Principles. This means that, from now on, the bank will also assess the projects in which it invests using the Equator Principles and the social and environmental criteria in the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards. ASN Bank has applied its own sustainability criteria in the selection of investments for years. The reason ASN Bank adopted the Equator Principles is that it invests in increasingly larger projects. The Equator Principles apply specifically to all new project financings globally with total project capital costs of US$10 million or more, and across all industry sectors.

Brazil, 18 November 2009

Social Environmental impacts will be taken into account in credit Caixa Econômica Federal has formally adopted the Equator Principles – a set of environmental and social benchmarks for managing environmental and social issues in development project finance globally. The principles were modelled on the environmental standards of the World Bank and the social policies of the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

South Africa - 22 October 2009

Absa has confirmed its commitment to environmental sustainability by announcing that the bank has adopted the Equator Principles. This formally qualifies Absa as an Equator Principles Financial Institution (EPFI) and puts the bank in step with the world's top financial institutions, including principal shareholder, Barclays.