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 Eco*Index™

At last, a real index choice for financially conservative, pragmatic green investors - an environmentally-driven equity investment option that doesn't sacrifice returns or unwittingly add to investor risk.

Launched in 2000,the Eco*Index™ is the first environmental-performance-based "best in class" environmental leadership index in the United States, that includes representation of all major industry groups. The Eco*Index™ constituents are driven by the performance trends of companies relative to their industry peers – so that firms whose performance is improving in any industry can be included. With sole exception of the tobacco industry, all industries in the USA are represented in approximately their proportion in major indices of the economy.

To create the Eco*Index™, Light Green Advisors (LGA) evaluates and ranks the environmental performance trends of all companies in the S&P 500 and selects the most "green" companies in each industry segment. This "best-of-class" approach provides investors with a structured, broadly diversified index portfolio comprised of superior corporate environmental performers within every major industry, except tobacco products.

All major industry sectors are included in the Eco*Index™ portfolio:

How are companies selected?

The Eco*Index™ portfolio is the first environmental leadership index to include representation from all major industry groups in the S&P 500, except tobacco companies. Companies selected for the index have the best environmental attributes in their industry areas. This diversity is ultimately reflected in returns to investors that track the S&P 500.

Because the fund contains more than 200 companies -- better than average companies from every industry sector, the Eco*Index™ Select Portfolio is reliable while still allowing investors to make an investment decision that benefits companies that protect the environment.

The Eco*Index™ portfolio uses an environmentally-based scoring system to evaluate and rank the environmental conduct of all companies in the S&P 500 index. LGA E-scores are developed from third-party data provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other environmental organizations evaluating:

• Corporate expenses associated with compliance with US environmental statutes
• Frequency and cost of corporate chemical and oil spills
• Toxic chemical releases to the environment and associated expenses
• Superfund and hazardous waste cleanup liabilities
• Corporate waste generation costs and trends in costs savings generated by waste reduction

Stocks within Standard & Poors-defined industry peer groups are ranked by their E-score and companies that are better than their industry peers are included in the Eco*Index™ portfolio. To assure the Eco*Index™ reflects the entire stock market, companies in industries with no relevant environmental performance data, e.g. financial services, are also included in the Eco*Index™ portfolio.

Institutional investors and pension plan sponsors interested in more information on making the Eco*Index™ available to their plan participants can contact LGA directly to discuss their requirements

Broker-dealers and other financial service firms interested in arranging to offer Eco*Index™ portfolios to their clients on different platforms can contact LGA here.