The FT Sustainable Banking Awards, the leading global awards for triple bottom line banking, have generated a record number of entries in their third year, with 127 institutions in 54 countries submitting a total of 180 applications by the deadline.

The awards were created by the Financial Times and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, to recognise banks and other financial institutions that have shown leadership and innovation in integrating social, environmental and corporate governance considerations into their operations.

The programme has been growing in popularity since its launch in 2006. The number of entries received this year represents a 19 per cent increase on the 151 submitted in 2007, while the number of banks applying is up 23 per cent from the 103 institutions in 51 countries that entered last year. In the inaugural awards in 2006, 98 entries were received from 48 banks in 28 countries.

“We are delighted to see the growing interest in these awards, reflecting the increasing importance of sustainability in this current economic and environmental climate.” said Lionel Barber, editor of the Financial Times.

“More than half of the entries in this year’s competition are from emerging market banks, from countries as diverse as Nepal and Colombia,” said Lars Thunell, IFC Executive Vice President and CEO. “This strong response is a sign that banks across the globe are seeing the business opportunities of sustainability.”

Entries were received in five categories: Sustainable Bank of the Year, Emerging Markets Sustainable Bank of the Year, Sustainable Deal of the Year, Banking at the Bottom of the Pyramid, and Sustainable Investor of the Year. Banking at the Bottom of the Pyramid and Sustainable Investor of the Year were new categories for the 2008 edition, broadening the awards to financial institutions not directly involved in banking.

The judging panel will meet next month to select the shortlists of award nominees. Each category will have a shortlist of five finalists - except Emerging Markets Sustainable Bank of the Year, where the winner will be chosen from four banks awarded prizes for regional leadership in Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Middle East/Africa respectively.

The winners of the awards will be announced at a special dinner at the Dorchester in London on 3 June 2008.

This awards dinner will conclude the 2008 FT/IFC Sustainable Banking Conference, a full-day gathering of major decision-makers, strategists and visionaries involved in sustainable finance which has become a major event on the international banking calendar following the success of the inaugural conference last year.

Confirmed speakers for the Sustainable Banking Conference include:

•Marcus Agius, Chairman, Barclays

•Richard Burrett, Head of Sustainability, ABN AMRO

•Pamela Flaherty, President and Chief Executive Officer, Citi Foundation

•Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President and CEO, Women’s World Banking

•Bjorn Lomberg, Author, ’The Sceptical Environmentalist’

•Nachiket Mor, President, ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth

•Dipesh Shah OBE, Chairman, Jetion Holdings; Advisory Chairman, Hg Capital

•Lars Thunell, Executive Vice President and CEO, IFC

The judging panel selecting the nominees and winners in this year’s awards includes leading figures involved in sustainable finance and development:

•John Willman, UK Business Editor, Financial Times (co-chair)

•Rachel Kyte, Director of Environment and Social Development, IFC (co-chair)

•David Harris, Manager, Responsible Investment, FTSE Group

•Richard Laing, Chief Executive, CDC Group Ltd

•Jonathan Lash, President, World Resources Institute (WRI)

•Elizabeth Littlefield, CEO, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP)

•Tessa Tennant, Co-founder, Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia (ASrIA)

Leading consultancy Sustainable Finance Ltd is technical advisor for the programme.

The list of participating institutions for the 2008 FT Sustainable Banking Awards is in the attached Appendix. For more information, including registration for the Sustainable Banking Conference and Awards dinner, please go to www.ftconferences.com/sustainablebanking.

For further information, please contact:

Lizzie Allen, Financial Times, 020 7873 4463 or lizzie.allen@ft.com

Azmar Sukandar, Financial Times, +852 2905 5519 or azmar.sukandar@ft.com

Lucie Giraud, IFC, Washington, DC, +1 (202) 458-4662 or lgiraud@ifc.org

Notes to Editors:

About the Financial Times

The Financial Times Group, one of the world’s leading business information companies, aims to provide a broad range of business information and services to the growing audience of internationally minded business people. The FT Group includes:

1.The Financial Times, one of the world’s leading business newspapers, is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Providing extensive news, comment and analysis, the newspaper is printed at 24 print sites across the globe, has a daily circulation of 448,342 (ABC figures, February 2008) and a readership of more than 1.3 million people worldwide.

2.FT.com is one of the world’s leading business information websites, and the internet partner of the FT newspaper. FT.com is the definitive home for business intelligence on the web, providing an essential source of news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community. FT.com attracts 6.5 million unique users, generating 43 million page views. FT.com has 101,000 subscribers.

3.Through FT Interactive Data, the FT Group is one of the world’s leading sources of securities pricing and specialist financial information to global institutional, professional and individual investors. Its products include eSignal, an online realtime streaming quotation service for brokers and active traders.

4.FT Business, which produces specialist information on the retail, personal and institutional finance industries. It publishes the UK’s premier personal finance magazine, Investors Chronicle, and The Banker, Money Management and Financial Adviser for professional advisers.

5.The Mergermarket Group, whose products and services provide the global advisory and corporate communities with intelligence and analysis. With regional head offices in London, New York and Hong Kong and 200 journalists in 46 locations worldwide, reliable and validated proprietary intelligence and historical data is provided via the mergermarket, dealReporter, Debtwire and wealthmonitor on-line platforms.

6.The Financial Times Group also has a stake in a number of joint ventures, including;

•FTSE International, a joint venture with the London Stock Exchange.

•Vedomosti, Russia’s leading business newspaper and a partnership venture with Dow Jones and Independent Media

•A 50% stake in BDFM, publishers of South Africa’s leading financial newspapers and websites.

•A 50% stake in The Economist Group, which publishes the world’s leading weekly business and current affairs journal.

•A 13.85% stake in Business Standard, one of India’s leading financial newspapers.

The FT Group is part of Pearson plc, the international education and information company.

About IFC

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, fosters sustainable economic growth in developing countries by financing private sector investment, mobilising private capital in local and international financial markets, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments. IFC’s vision is that poor people have the opportunity to escape poverty and improve their lives. In FY07, IFC committed $8.2 billion and mobilized an additional $3.9 billion through loan participations and structured finance for 299 investments in 69 developing countries. IFC also provided advisory services in 97 countries. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

APPENDIX

Entries to the 2008 FT Sustainable Banking Awards were received from the following 127 institutions:

Aavishkaar India Micro Venture Capital Fund

ABN AMRO

ABN AMRO India

Access Bank, Nigeria

AfricInvest Capital Partners, Tunisia

AgroInvest, Serbia

Ahli United Bank, Bahrain

Alalay Sa Kaunlaran Inc (ASKI), Philippines

ASA, Bangladesh

Bai Tushum & Partners Microcredit Company, Kyrgyzstan

Banamex, Mexico

Banca Comerciala Romana, Romania

Banco Bradesco, Brazil

Banco de Galicia y Buenos Aires, Argentina

Banco do Brasil

Banco Espirito Santo, Portugal

Banco Itau, Brazil

Banco Real, Brazil

Banco Triangulo (Tribanco), Brazil

Bank Danamon, Indonesia

Bank of Alexandria, Egypt

Bank of Kathmandu, Nepal

Bank Sarasin, Switzerland

Barclays, UK

Blue Orchard Finance, Switzerland

BMCE Bank, Morocco

BBVA Colombia

BBVA Banco Continental, Peru

BBVA Microfinance Foundation, Spain

BRAC Bank, Bangladesh

Byblos Bank, Lebanon

Caisse d’Epargne de Madagascar

Calvert Foundation, US

Calyon, France

Cantilan Bank, Philippines

Ceska Sporitelna, Czech Republic

Citi, US

Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Sri Lanka

Commercial Bank of Kuwait

Compartamos, Mexico

Credit Suisse, Switzerland

Daegu Bank Economic Research Institute, South Korea

Denizbank, Turkey

De Pury Pictet Turrettini & Cie, Switzerland

Deutsche Bank, Germany

Developing World Markets, US

Development and Employment Fund, Jordan

Dexia, France

Doha Bank, Qatar

Doughty Hanson & Co, UK

E+Co, US

Equity Bank, Kenya

F&C Management Ltd, UK

Financiera Nicaraguense de Desarrollo (FINDESA), Nicaragua

First National Bank, South Africa

Fullerton Financial Holdings, Singapore

Glitnir Bank, Iceland

Global Trade Finance, India

Goldman Sachs, US

Grupo Financiero BBVA Bancomer, Mexico

Hansabankas, Lithuania

Henderson Global Investors, UK

HSBC, UK

ICICI Group, India

Industrial Bank, China

Industrial Development Bank of Turkey

ING Group, Netherlands

Integrated Development Foundation, Bangladesh

Intercontinental Bank, Nigeria

International Bank of Azerbaijan

Investec, South Africa

Japan Bank for International Cooperation

Jupiter Asset Management, UK

KfW, Germany

Khan Bank of Mongolia

Kompanion Financial Group, Kyrgyzstan

Kookmin Bank, South Korea

La Caixa, Spain

LOCKO-Bank, Russia

Merrill Lynch, US

Mibanco, Banco de la Microempresa, Peru

Micro Credit Company, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Microcredit Organization EKI, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Microempresas de Antioquia Medellin, Colombia

Microfinance International Corporation, US

Mitusbishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation, Japan

Mizuho Corporate Bank, Japan

Morgan Stanley, US

Mufindi Community Bank Ltd (MuCoBa), Tanzania

Nacional Financiera, Mexico

The Nature Conservancy EcoEnterprises Fund, US

Nedbank, South Africa

New Energies Invest, Switzerland

Opportunity International UK

Partner Microcredit Organization, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Pictet Asset Management, UK

Piraeus Bank, Greece

PRASAC MFI Ltd, Cambodia

Rabobank, Netherlands

Raiffeisen Zentralbank (RZB), Austria

Raiffeisenbank (Bulgaria)

ResponsAbility, Switzerland

Royal Bank of Scotland, UK

Russian Agricultural Bank

SAM Sustainable Asset Management, Switzerland

SEB Bank Lithuania

Sekerbank, Turkey

Small Farmers Development Bank, Nepal

Small Industries Development Bank of India

Small Scale Sustainable Infrastructure Development Fund, Inc (S3IDF), US

Society Of Local Volunteers’ Effort (SOLVE), Nepal

Standard Chartered, UK

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Japan

TBC Bank, Georgia

Turk Ekonomi Bank, Turkey

Ujjivan Financial Services, India

União de Bancos Brasileiros (Unibanco), Brazil

United Bank for Africa, Nigeria

United Capital Investment Group, Russia

Vakifbank, Turkey

Vodafone Group Services, UK/Safaricom, Kenya

VSL Associates, Germany

WestLB, Germany

Wizzit, South Africa

World Council of Credit Unions, US

YES Bank, India

Zenith Bank, Nigeria