GM, Novozymes Biotech and Puroast(R) Recognized for Sustainable Business Practices

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TO BUSINESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

GM, Novozymes Biotech and Puroast(R) Recognized for Sustainable Business Practices

Sustainable Business Institute Grants First Seal of Sustainability

CALIFORNIA, SAN JOSE, Mar. 6 -/E-Wire/-- The Sustainable Business Institute (SBI) today named the first recipients of the SBI Seal of Sustainability at its annual conference. General Motors (GM), Puroast(R) Coffee Co., Inc., and Novozymes Biotech were awarded the Seal for their companies' leadership in environmentally and socially responsible practices. The recipients were announced at the Fourth Annual SBI CEO Forum that also addressed emerging technologies for sustainable energy systems and the relationship between financial performance and sustainable performance.

"All three Seal recipients have several traits in common: progressive management practices, attention to the environmental effect of their business practices, and a concern for their employees, customers and the communities in which they operate," stated Jessica Fullmer, executive director of the Sustainable Business Institute, located in San Jose, Calif. "We proudly recognize them and encourage other companies to join them in earning the prestigious Seal of Sustainability."

General Motors earned the SBI Seal of Sustainability for its commitment to reducing waste and pollutants, conserving resources, and using recycled materials at every stage of the product life cycle. Total life cycle thinking in the design, manufacture, use, and disposal of GM vehicles positively affects product programs and enables GM to balance the economic, environmental, and social consequences of decisions. This process has been used in vehicles such as full-size trucks, sport utility vehicles and the Pontiac Aztek.

One example of GM's progressive approach to community reinvestment is its GM Volunteer PLU$, a new global volunteerism program that recognizes and rewards employees for the time they spend volunteering with charities in their communities. The program also allows employees to direct a monetary gift from the GM Foundation to local charities where they volunteer.

"General Motors' environment and energy team worldwide appreciates the recognition by the Sustainable Business Institute, a California-based organization, for our ongoing work on sustainable development and environmental stewardship," said Dennis R. Minano, GM vice president, environment & energy and chief environmental officer. "It is a framework we have been using for some time. At GM, sustainability is a systems approach that integrates environmental, social and economic objectives into both daily business and future planning activities. We recognize that only if these objectives are thoughtfully considered and balanced within our organization will we be able to reach our vision of being the world leader in transportation products and related services."

SBI selected Novozymes Biotech, Inc. for its development of environmentally responsible technologies for the bio-industrial enzyme industry. As a wholly owned research and development subsidiary of Novozymes A/S (Bagsvaerd, Denmark), the Davis, Calif. company conducted research for enzymes such as Suberase(TM), an enzyme that offers a natural process for removing the taint material in wine bottle corks; Baysolex(TM), an enzyme for use in bleaching textile dyes that eliminates the need for hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite and water rinsing; and many others beneficial to the environment.

In addition, Novozymes Biotech is a partner with the U.S. government and other industrial companies to reduce reliance on non-renewable resources. "We are proud to participate in the US Bio-based Products and Bio-energy Initiative whose goal is to triple the use of bio-based products and bio- energy in the next decade. The result will be billions of dollars in new income for farmers and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by tens of millions of tons," stated Glenn E. Nedwin, Ph.D., president of Novozymes Biotech, Inc. SBI commends this action that results in both economic gains and environmental gains for the company.

Puroast(R) Coffee Co., Inc. received the SBI Seal because of its use of alternative energy technology and its use of an old world method of roasting to bring back the "purest" form of coffee roasting. Sawdust pellets fuel the roasting process, rather than fossil fuels, which are used in most other coffee roasters.

The California Air Resources Board and other agencies recognize Puroast's(R) custom-designed roasting process as "environmentally friendly" because the process is essentially pollution-free. There is no net increase in atmospheric CO2 because it uses fuel derived from the biosphere that recycles carbon. With sawdust now one-tenth the price of natural gas, this practice actually saves Puroast(R) money.

SBI also recognized Puroast(R) for its concern for its customers' health. "We at Puroast(R) want our customers to be healthy and believe our coffee is the healthiest coffee in the U.S.," stated President Kerry Sachs. Chemical data, produced by the University of California, Davis shows Puroast(R) Coffee contains over 40% lower amounts of diCQA, a substance known to cause acid response in those consumers suffering from acid reflux. It is estimated that up to 25% of adult beverage consumers suffer from this problem.

The Sustainable Business Institute's Seal of Sustainability honors those businesses and business leaders throughout the world who have proposed or implemented noteworthy sustainable business practices. By "sustainable," SBI refers to those actions that in some way enhance ecosystem health or reduce resource consumption, while meeting the broader expectations of society. Businesses may apply for the Seal at any time. In the future, Seal recipients will be announced periodically throughout the year.

Sustainable Business Institute -- a non-profit organization, based in San Jose, Calif., was founded by business leaders to support and promote the concept of sustainability as a means of achieving great efficiencies and profitability. www.sustainablebusiness.org Phone: [REDACTED-PHONE]

/Web site: http://gm.com/company/gmability / /Web site: http://gm.com/company/corp_info/sustainability / /Web site: http://www.novozymesbiotech.com / /Web site: http://www.novozymes.com / /Web site: http://www.novo.com / /Web site: http://www.puroast.com /

Sustainable Business Institute

Sharon Sarris of Sustainable Business Institute, [REDACTED-PHONE],

cell, [REDACTED-PHONE], [REDACTED-EMAIL]

http://www.SustainableBusiness.org

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