INTESA SANPAOLO ENTERS THE GLOBAL INDEX OF COMPANIES COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE AND RANKS AMONG THE MOST VIRTUOUS ONES

 Roma, 15 October 2014 - Intesa Sanpaolo enters the index referred to as “The A List: The CDP Climate Performance Leadership Index 2014” for its measures aimed at reducing carbon emissions and mitigating the risks associated with climate change.

The index comprises 187 listed companies selected for their advanced approach towards the mitigation of climate changes. The index was compiled by CDP, the international NGO geared towards sustainable economies, upon the request of 767 investors representing more than one third of the capital invested at global level.

The information provided by almost 2,000 listed companies was evaluated and classified independently through a widely recognised assessment methodology.

Intesa Sanpaolo is one of 187 companies to have been rated an A level for its performances on the subject of climate change mitigation, earning itself a place in these global rankings that recognise the most virtuous companies.

Carlo Messina, Intesa Sanpaolo Managing Director and CEO comments: “Intesa Sanpaolo has participated in CDP's questionnaire since 2007. In recent years, our bank has achieved excellent results by submitting a timely and complete reporting and certifying that it has reduced its CO2 emissions through effective tools for managing impacts on the environment. This programme has encouraged us to think constructively about the risks and opportunities in this sector and about the innovative strategies that the Group is adopting. We are aware of the fact that large service companies can have a strong ecological footprint. For this reason, we believe it is of the utmost priority to implement a strategic plan that takes into account all the environmental impacts and to put in place systematic measures to minimise consumption and improve the energy efficiency of the heating and cooling systems of our premises (buildings and offices), as well as the lighting systems and all equipment used for office purposes. However, a large bank can demonstrate its commitment in the fight against climate change also by helping its customers improve their environmental performance, through expert advice and financing geared towards energy efficiency and renewable energy production”.

The leading companies in terms of their performance in the "The A List index" are investing to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and overall they have reduced their emissions by 33 million tons per year in absolute terms, compared to last year's reporting, having achieved excellent financial results at the same time. In this way, the leaders have demonstrated that a low-carbon future does not mean low profit.

CDP's performance evaluations provide institutional investors and stakeholders with a means of assessing and monitoring the efforts of companies in mitigating climate change. The scores are reported to investors and other decision-makers through various channels, including Bloomberg terminals, to help them assess how well prepared companies are to face the changing demands of the market and the regulation of emissions.

Paul Simpson, CDP's CEO, comments: "Global greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase and, if we are not able to mitigate them, we run a big risk, also financially. The opportunity to take action to mitigate climate change has never been so strong and urgent. For this reason, we would like to congratulate the companies that have been ranked on the “The A List: The CDP Climate Performance Leadership Index 2014”. These companies are responding to the growing market demand for greater environmental responsibility and at the same time are making progress towards the development of sustainable economies."

“The A List: The CDP Climate Performance Leadership Index 2014”, together with the information provided by all the companies that publicly take part in the CDP programme on climate change, is available on CDP's site (www.cdp.net )

The Intesa Sanpaolo Group is the leading banking group in Italy, with 11.1 million customers and over 4,700 branches, and one of the leaders in Europe. Intesa Sanpaolo was established on 1 January 2007 from the merger between Sanpaolo IMI and Banca Intesa - banks which played a leading role in the process of consolidation of the Italian banking system, becoming two of the leading groups at the national level. The Intesa Sanpaolo Group is the Italian leader in financial activities for households and businesses, especially in banking intermediation (with a share of 15% of loans and 17% of deposits), asset management (22%), pension funds (24%) and factoring (32%). The Group has strategic territorial coverage thanks to its local subsidiaries and is one of the top banking groups in several countries in Central and Eastern Europe and in the Middle East and North Africa, where it serves approximately 8.4 million customers through a network of over 1,400 branches: it ranks first in Serbia, second in Croatia and Slovakia, third in Albania, fifth in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Egypt and Hungary, eighth in Slovenia.

CDP is a not-for-profit international organisation that provides the only global system for companies and cities to measure, disclose, manage and share environmental information of vital importance.  CDP works with the financial markets, including 767 institutional investors with assets of $92,000 billion, to motivate companies to publicly present their impact on the environment and natural resources, and take action to reduce it. CDP holds the largest global collection of data on climate change, water consumption and forest management and puts this information at the heart of business, investment and strategic decisions. To find out more, visit the website www.cdp.net or follow @CDP.

Intesa Sanpaolo

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