New ESG/Sustainability Knowledge Platform

New York, New York – October 8, 2009 – Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. today formally launched INSIGHTS-edgeSM, (www.gai-insightsedge.com) a Web-based, subscription-access information management platform that identifies, monitors and shares information on important players and trends re-shaping global capital markets and corporate valuations around the investment themes of “ESG” and “Sustainability.”

These new and established market players include ESG and Sustainability research and analytics organizations; US public sector pension funds; Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) and related sovereign institutions; global investor coalitions; market influencers such as organizations shaping carbon, climate change and water issues; business coalitions; and asset managers and owners. INSIGHTS-edge provides independent, neutral and objective information to subscribers on individual organizations in these categories.

What it does: INSIGHTS-edge is designed to help users identify, understand, track the activities of, and effectively engage with the growing universe of market players and influencers focused on ESG and viewing investments through the prism of Sustainability, and through their individual and collective actions deciding long-term market winners, laggards and losers.

INSIGHTS-edge: A “must-have” resource

In announcing INSIGHTS-edge, Henry (Hank) Boerner, CEO and chairman of the Governance & Accountability Institute, said: “In the wake of the financial markets meltdown, the failure of big name brokerage and investment banking houses, and with mounting distrust by investors of the corporate sector, new resources are needed by all market players to better understand the forces and players at work re-shaping investment and creating “the new normal” in the markets for equity, debt and other investments. INSIGHTS-edge can be a ‘must-have’ resource for investors and managers.”

INSIGHTS-edge content categories include:

• ESG and Sustainability Market Players and Influencers
(Critical environmental, social and corporate governance Key Performance Indicators)
• Sovereign Wealth Funds and related sovereign investment players
(Rapidly-growing sector of the global capital markets – est. USD$3.2 trillion in assets)
• US Public Sector Pension Funds & Retirement Systems
(The USA’s sovereign investors – est. USD$2.3 trillion in assets and embracing ESG)
• Sustainable & Responsible Investors (SRI): Key Players – (Coming Soon Q4 09)
(Est. USD$2.7 trillion in assets managed in the USA)

INSIGHTS-edge features include:

• Independently produced market player profiles
Prepared by the Institute team from publicly-available information
Profiles contain information on assets managed, types of investments
• Highlights / Benchmark Explanations
Top lines on what investors & corporate managers need to know about ESG
• Streaming News – Globally-Accessed
Aggregated 3x daily from global sources daily and archived, searchable
• Useful links
Convenient links to reliable information sources

Mr. Boerner said that among the investments now being evaluated for their long-term sustainability are: publicly-traded corporate equity and debt issues; investments in hedge funds, real estate, a variety of alternative investment vehicles, private equity transactions; and, purchase of entire companies or business units. Adoption of “ESG” and “Sustainability” guidelines, practices and policies by a growing universe of institutional investors and high-wealth individuals in Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and North America is an important factor for corporate and other issuers seeking access to capital and long-term investors.

Powerful ESG players now exerting their influence in the marketplace

“In all market areas, powerful market players are influencing access to capital, shaping corporate reputations, shaping equity and other valuations, and deciding financial outcomes,” explained Mr. Boerner. These include ESG research and analytic firms, institutional asset owners, asset managers, investor coalitions, sovereign wealth funds, government pension funds, endowments, foundations, mutual funds, private equity firms, investment pools.

Why INSIGHTS-edge was created: “We’ve created INSIGHTS-edge to help the investment community better understand the scope and sweep of ESG and Sustainability investing in Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East, the Pacific Basin, and other market centers” Boerner said. “As more mainstream investors move to adopt ESG policies and practices, and adjust their long-term investment strategies, they are joining a global universe of asset owners with hundreds of trillions of dollars in assets under management that are already focused on ESG issues.”

“Corporate leadership will benefit from use of INSIGHTS-edge as executives and managers learn more about the importance of ESG and Sustainability Key Performance Factors to a broadening range of investors that are deciding the availability and cost of capital to corporate issuers. Corporations are hearing from third party research and analytics organizations with extensive requests for information and date. INSIGHTS-edge provides resources to help IR, ESH, corporate secretaries, and other managers respond more effectively to these requests on a timely basis.”

The URL for the new resource is http://www.gai-insightsedge.com . Demonstrations are available by request.

The Governance & Accountability Institute is a research, monitoring, publishing and advisory services organization with expertise in ESG (corporate environmental, social and corporate governance Key Performance Indicators) and Sustainability issues.

Company Web site: http://www.ga-institute.com
Public news and commentary: http://www.accountability-central.com

Note: “INSIGHTS-edge” and “Accountability Central” are Service Marks (SM) of Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc.