KLD Research & Analytics, Inc. has launched the KLD Global SustainabilitySM Index (GSI) and Index series which consists of a broad representation of top environmental, social and governance (ESG) performing companies across all sectors in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Amy Blumenthal/Karen Myers
Blumenthal & Associates
617-879-1511 or
Peter Kinder
KLD Research & Analytics, Inc.
617-426-5270 x227


KLD Launches Global Sustainability Index

BOSTON October 1, 2007—KLD Research & Analytics, Inc. announced the launch today of its KLD Global SustainabilitySM Index (GSI) and Index series. KLD's Global Sustainability Index consists of a broad representation of top environmental, social and governance (ESG) performing companies across all sectors in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

The GSI and its North American, European and Asian Pacific sub-indexes are designed to meet institutional demand for sector-neutral sustainability indexes.

"KLD created the GSI in response to the growing demand from institutional investors for global sustainability investment options," says Thomas Kuh, Managing Director of KLD. "We are pleased that a major investment company signed a GSI fund license prior to launch."

Sustainability refers to the degree to which a company addresses the social and environmental needs of the present without compromising the quality of life of future generations.

"The GSI differs from other socially responsible investing (SRI) and sustainability indexes in that it is simultaneously broad, sector-neutral and based on rigorous sustainability standards," says Peter D. Kinder, President of KLD.

KLD's ESG ratings framework captures a company's sustainability performance by analyzing five key categories - environment; community and society; employees and supply chain; customers; and governance and ethics.

The GSI's rating framework favors corporations that are:

* Strong stewards of the environment;
* Devoted to serving local communities and society overall;
* Committed to high labor standards for their own employees and those in their supply chain;
* Dedicated to producing high quality and safe products; and
* Managing their company in an exemplary and ethical manner.

"KLD's analysis combines an awareness of the overarching impact companies can have on social and environmental conditions with sensitivity to the challenges faced by businesses operating in different sectors of the global economy. KLD therefore rates companies on both how they address the ESG challenges within their industry and how they treat all stakeholders," says Eric Fernald, Managing Director of Research for KLD.

The GSI is the product of KLD's long-standing collaboration with Dutch Sustainability Research (The Netherlands), Centre Info (Switzerland), SIRIS (Australia), Jantzi Research (Canada), Scoris (Germany), and Analistas Internationales en Sostenibilidad (Spain) as research partners of SiRi Company Ltd.

KLD's global partners played a crucial role in developing the ratings framework for the GSI. Hence, the research underlying the index incorporates both a global sustainability perspective and regional company expertise.

Index Methodology

The eligible universe for the GSI is made up of companies that comprise the top 75% of the market capitalization of each sector in 23 developed market countries. KLD compiled the eligible universe from the S&P/Citigroup BMI World Index.

KLD and its research partners rank the sustainability of each company in the eligible universe on key ESG performance indicators in each of ten economic sectors. The GSI Committee selects the highest ranked companies in each sector, representing 37.5% of the sector market capitalization of each sector in each region.

The selection process for the GSI yields an index of 687 companies that will closely track the global market while exhibiting a strong sustainability identity.

The GSI committee reviews the characteristics of the GSI to ensure it meets its sector and regional representation targets. The Index is reconstituted annually on November 1.

The Index series includes the KLD Global Sustainability Index, three regional indexes - the KLD North America Sustainability Index (NASI), KLD Europe Sustainability Index (ESI), KLD Asia Pacific Sustainability Index (APSI) - and the KLD Global Sustainability Index ex-US (GSIXUS).

For more details about the KLD Global Sustainability Index family, please refer to http://www.kld.com/indexes/gsindex/index.html.

About KLD Indexes
KLD Indexes is a unit of KLD Research & Analytics, Inc. In 1990, KLD launched the Domini 400 SocialSM Index - the first socially responsible investment index.


Today, more than $10.5 billion is invested in funds based on KLD indexes and KLD indexes are widely accepted as benchmarks for investment strategies that integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors.

KLD's indexes are designed to be transparent, representative and investable. Investment managers license KLD's benchmark and specialty indexes to create exchange traded funds, mutual funds, unit investment trusts, structured products, commingled funds and separately managed accounts for institutional and retail investors.

KLD indexes are available for licensing by investment managers and fund sponsors. For more information about KLD Indexes, please see our website (www.KLDIndexes.com) or contact Jed Sturman (617-426-5270 x310 or jsturman@kld.com).

About KLD Research & Analytics, Inc.
Founded in 1988, KLD Research & Analytics, Inc. is an independent investment research firm providing institutional investors with authoritative social and sustainability investment research and compliance services, consulting services, and benchmark and strategy indexes.

More than 400 clients worldwide use KLD products and services to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into their investment decisions. KLD's clients are institutional and retail money managers, investment consultants, compliance officers, institutional investors, professionals, academics and investor relations officers.


About SiRi Company Ltd
SiRi Company was formed in 2000 and comprises specialist socially responsible investment (SRI) research organizations based in Europe, North America and Australia. Together with KLD, SiRi has over 100 SRI research analysts worldwide with extensive knowledge of corporations, local markets and SRI investment strategies.

SiRi Company provides detailed profiles and ratings on the largest 1,800 global companies. Individual SiRi network partners offer local profiles on another 4,000 corporations worldwide together with a wide range of sustainable investment solutions geared to the needs of institutional investors, including construction of SRI indexes, provision of weighted company ratings, SRI fund monitoring and strategic SRI consulting.

Disclaimer
The S&P/Citigroup BMI World Index is the property of Standard & Poor's, a division of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ("S&P").

The KLD Global Sustainability Index (the "Index") is the exclusive property of KLD Research & Analytics, Inc., which has contracted with Standard & Poor's, a division of the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ("S&P") to calculate the Index. S&P shall have no liability for any errors or omissions in calculating the Index.

KLD is not an investment advisor and makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in specific securities.

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