Banorte Promotes Environmental Responsibility in Businesses as a Factor of Competitiveness

(3BL Media) Mexico, DF - May 8, 2012 - In a global context where it grows the importance of sustainability and, specifically, quantification and monitoring of emissions of greenhouse gases, reporting and climate management have become key factors for businesses in terms of competitiveness and access to new markets.

Therefore, the British NGO Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), along with Green Plus, a partner in Mexico of CDP, and Banorte-Ixe, as a signatory for Latin America and the only Mexican private bank to participate in the project, carried out this day the workshop "The Impact of Climate Change in the Business", with the participation of various specialists and entrepreneurs.

Participants in the symposium, held at the corporate offices of Grupo Financiero Banorte in this capital, and streamed video to Monterrey, stressed that disseminate information and manage the climate change issue is related to better stock market performance companies, as well as their participation in the Carbon Index Performance Leadership Index (FPIC) and Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI). They noted that companies with an eye toward climate change offered approximately 2 times more financial returns to investors in the period January 2005 to May 2011.

Fernando Figueiredo, CDP Executive Director for South America, said in his speech that, although the so-called greenhouse gases are good for the planet, "the issue that we are generating through diversasfuentes energy are beyond what is necessary, since the total global emissions, carbon occupies 77 percent. "

Meanwhile, Claudia Lechuga, Executive Director of Green Plus, said that "the climate change issue from a corporate perspective is undoubtedly an issue of competitiveness in the growing demand for information by interest groups surrounding businesses, about the social and environmental impact of products and services they offer. It is an issue, she said, that adds value to business and accounting challenges, risks for the same business operations, but also create opportunities that can capitalize on their behalf, such as identifying new market niches and creating new products. "

By making use of the word, Mayra Hernandez Gonzalez, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility of Grupo Financiero Banorte, said: "For us, climate change and carbon reduction is a key priority in our strategy and integrated business objectives in the medium and long term, so that environmental protection is one of the pillars of Social Responsibility policy, which we look for opportunities based on the highest impact and lowest cost with respect to energy efficiency, emissions reduction, energy reduction, water and waste and environmental education. "

The speakers shared their experiences and knowledge about the correct way to respond to the request of the Report which annually sends the CDP to a considerable number of companies around the world, that this document is a tool through which they can provide clear information on the risks and opportunities climate change represents to their operations, and to understand and manage their emissions of gases (GHGs).

Note that the results of the latest edition of the CDP, obtained last year, show that the management of emissions of gases has an increasingly strategic role for Latin American companies. According to the Carbon Disclosure Project Report Latin America 2011, increased the number of companies that address issues related to climate change at higher hierarchical levels. (93% versus 72% in 2010).

In 2011, the CDP information request was sent to about 5,000 enterprises, of which responded to a total of 2.038, while in Latin America, 50 companies were invited to report their emissions and policies to combat climate change, the 7 Mexican companies which provided data about its strategy on climate change through CDP: Banorte, Cemex, Peñoles Industries, Kimberly Clark Mexico, Walmart de Mexico, Grupo Bimbo and Fira.

About CDP
Recognized as the most influential NGOs in the Harvard Business Review, the CDP has raised the level of action against climate change, creating business opportunities and investments. A group of 666 institutional investors worldwide, with $ 78 billion in assets, support the annual request for information from the CDP, which is sent to the largest companies in terms of market capitalization. Responses to this questionnaire provide guidelines on how businesses can adapt to low-carbon future and guide decisions on the capital market, generating greater value for shareholders.

The CDP also works with global businesses and governments to enhance sustainability in the value chain through the CDP Supply Chain program do. Meanwhile, the CDP Cities aid to the world's largest cities to reduce the risks associated with climate change while boosting economic growth. Since the CDP Water Disclosure is in his second year working with companies to strengthen global water management. You can download the Carbon Disclosure Project Report 2011 in Latin America site: www.cdproject.net

About Green Plus Mexico
Green Plus provides advice on issues of climate change, environmental responsibility, capacity building sustainability equipment, inventories of GHG inventory verification, sustainability reports and environmental translations. The team of Green Plus has supported since 2010 for companies interested in revealing their management of climate change to the Carbon Disclosure Project. Today is the local partner of Latin America in Mexico CDP. Contact: greenplusmexico@gmail.com

About Grupo Financiero Banorte
Grupo Financiero Banorte is one of the leading financial institutions in Mexico. Its banking subsidiary, Banco Mercantil del Norte is the third largest bank in the country, measured by the amount of deposits and loans. Following the merger with Ixe has a network of nearly 1,300 branches, over 6,200 ATMs and over 90,000 POS terminals, serving more than 9.8 million customers in banking, premium banking, Wholesale banking , and through its correspondent agreements with Telecomm-Telegraph and 7-Eleven Mexico. Additionally serves more than 8 million customers through the AFORE (administration of funds for retirement savings) and its division of Insurance and Pensions. Banorte has a presence in southern Texas, through Inter National Bank, in the cities of New Jersey and California, acting through remittance companies and Motran Uniteller and in New York through Banorte Securities International.