Globe Forum's new crowd funding platform is a marketplace where innovators and companies in the sustainability area can find financiers and donors. The marketplace facilitates donations and subsequently investment in sustainable companies as a complement to voluntary climate compensation that currently consists of buying emission rights. Innovations are very important to a sustainable society’s development; however, at the moment it is difficult to attract private equity to the innovation sector. Crowd funding can create solid foundations for Swedish innovations as well as Swedish environmental technology. These are important investments for the future that will generate growth and jobs. "We want to do our bit for the environment by offering our support to Swedish innovation companies. If these have the opportunity to reach a global market, each krona would give a lot more back to the environment whilst creating economic growth" said Peter Nygårds, head of Public Affairs at Swedbank. Swedbank will be the first to join for a test period in the marketplace to which most of the bank’s voluntary climate compensation will be allocated. Swedbank's staff will participate in allocating the capital to chosen companies. The test period is due to end in autumn 2010 when other companies would be able to join the marketplace. Swedbank has had a responsibility to society ever since the savings banks were formed in 1820. Since 2003 Swedbank has been the only Nordic listed bank to be ISO 140001 (Environment Management Systems) certified. Swedbank considers it important to actively contribute to a sustainable society and to link this to the bank's business activities. Further details are available on www.globeforum.com For further information please contact: Peter Nygårds, Head of Public Affairs, Swedbank, tel: +46 70 690 16 00 Jenny Johansson, Head of Environmental Affairs, Swedbank, tel: +46 8 585 937 51 Anna Sundblad, Press Officer, Swedbank, tel: +46 70 321 39 95 Appendix Definition of crowd funding and about voluntary climate compensation. Crowd funding Crowd funding is the collective cooperation by people who together support projects they believe have the greatest potential. Many companies are very positive to involving their staff in this way, through participation in the company's or oganisation's work with sustainability. Voluntary climate compensation Voluntary climate compensation is an important part of many companies' internal and external work with sustainability. Compensation usually takes the form of an international CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) project to offset the company's carbon dioxide emission.