Goldman Sachs Environmental Policy: 2006 Year-End Report
The Goldman Sachs Environmental Policy Framework, established in November 2005, embodies the
philosophy that capital markets are an important source of creative ideas and an important way to help
address today’s environmental challenges. In a little over a year, we have made considerable progress
towards meeting the Framework’s objectives. And, importantly, our people have demonstrated
tremendous enthusiasm and interest in the myriad ways in which our business activities impact the
environment.
The Framework is built around Goldman Sachs’ ability to contribute to a healthy environment through
various areas of our business. A few highlights of our efforts to date include:
· We invested over $1.5 billion in alternative energy/clean technology worldwide.
· The Goldman Sachs Center for Environmental Markets made grants of $2.3 million towards research
focused on finding market-based solutions to climate change challenges.
· Our Global Investment Research division established a rigorous approach to evaluating the
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) risks for industry sectors and individual companies.
· We invested in ASSET4 Ltd, a leading provider of extra-financial ESG data on global corporations, as
part of our commitment to increase ESG research.
· Our Investment Management division launched a new Socially Responsible Large Cap Strategy fund
in December 2006 which, among other things, evaluates environment, community support and
corporate governance aspects of potential investments.
· The firm’s Corporate Services and Real Estate team completed a worldwide training program on
green building standards for all new Goldman Sachs construction worldwide.
From investments and market making, to research and corporate services, Goldman Sachs is finding
effective, market-based opportunities to positively impact the environment through our businesses. This
effort is consistent with our central business objective of creating long-term value for our shareholders
and serving the best interests of our clients.
INVESTMENTS AND MARKET MAKING
Investments
As part of our Framework, the firm committed to make available up to $1 billion for investments in
alternative energy. By the end of 2006, the firm had surpassed this goal and has over $1.5 billion
invested in alternative energy projects in the US, Europe, and Asia. Goldman Sachs will continue to
pursue viable investment opportunities in alternative energy/clean technology. Some of the sectors that
we have invested in include:
· Cellulosic Ethanol: Iogen built and operates the world's only functioning demonstration-scale plant to
convert biomass to cellulose ethanol using enzyme technology.
· Wind: Horizon Wind Energy is one of the largest wind farm developers/owners in the United States.
Horizon expects to own 1,324MW of generating capacity by the end of 2007.
· Solar PV Integration: SunEdison is one of the largest solar photovoltaic installer/integrators in the
United States
· Solar PV Manufacturing: First Solar manufactures “thin film” PV panels and has created a proprietary
Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) PV module technology.
· Wind Turbine Manufacturing: Nordex is a leader in multi-MW turbine technology, the fastest growing
segment in wind generation.
Market Making
We continue to act as a market marker in carbon emissions trading. Goldman Sachs has been engaged
in the carbon emissions market since January 2005. The carbon emissions business has focused on the
European market since the EU European Trading System (ETS) was established as part of the Kyoto
Protocol. We have senior traders dedicated to making markets and taking principal risk positions in
emission credits. They are supported by global sales and strategy teams in London, New York, Tokyo
and Singapore.
Goldman Sachs is involved in a variety of activities in the carbon emissions market including: originating
projects, purchasing forward credit streams, and marketing credits to our diversified client base. In
addition to OTC spot and forwards, electronic futures and cash settled swaps, we trade options and
market unique hybrid baskets. Emission price risk has become integrated into the liability hedging
concerns of our corporate client base. The hedging of emission credit price risk has become an important
part of our commodities hedging business
In September 2006, Goldman Sachs made a minority equity investment in Climate Exchange PLC, which
owns the US and European trading platforms, Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) and European Climate
Exchange (ECX). We remain focused on identifying other market-based opportunities and continue to
monitor policy and regulatory developments in carbon markets, both in the U.S. and internationally.