CHEVY CHASE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A leading private equity firm, Global Environment Fund (GEF), has been named the 2009 Sustainable Investor of the Year by the Financial Times. The award was presented at this year’s Financial Times and IFC Sustainable Banking Conference in London, which attracted 250 senior banking and finance industry participants from around the globe on June 4.

GEF is one of the most experienced and successful private investment management firms to focus exclusively on investing globally in emerging companies whose business operations deliver measurable environmental improvements, cleaner energy and sustainable management of natural resources. In accepting the award in London, Jeffrey Leonard, GEF CEO and co-founder, said, “We are proud of the fact that, from our inception 20 years ago, we have found exciting and profitable renewable energy, clean technology and sustainable forestry investments around the world and, as a consequence, we have been able to deliver top-quartile long-term investment performance to our investment partners.”

In presenting the award, Financial Times Editor Lionel Barber highlighted GEF’s strong investment performance. He noted that, “With over US$1 billion under management, the fund’s gross IRR on realised investments is more than 36%. Global Environment Fund is tackling challenging sectors and making them work.”

Since 2006, the Financial Times Sustainable Banking Awards have recognized financial institutions and institutional investors that are leaders and innovators in integrating social, environmental and corporate governance into their core operations. This year GEF was selected as the FT Sustainable Investor of the Year from among 41 nominees consisting of institutional investment firms from around the globe.

In addition, Lars Thunell, IFC Executive Vice President and CEO said, “The current crisis underscores that sustainability is at the core of building a healthy global economy. A growing number of financial institutions, especially those in emerging markets, are driving this change by proving that promoting a clean environment … can be sources of business opportunities. We are pleased these awards celebrate their innovation and leadership.”

Information about the Financial Times Sustainable Banking Conference and Awards in partnership with the IFC can be found at www.ftconferences.com/sustainablebanking.

About Global Environment Fund

Global Environment Fund is a Chevy Chase, Maryland-based private equity firm founded in 1990 investing in emerging markets, clean technology, energy efficiency and timberland in emerging markets. The firm manages over US$1 billion in private equity investments for institutional investors including university endowments, foundations, fund-of funds, family offices, pension funds and Developmental Finance Institutions (DFIs). For more information, visit www.globalenvironmentfund.com.

About the Financial Times

The Financial Times, one of the world’s leading business news organisations, is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Providing extensive news, comment and analysis, the newspaper is printed at 23 print sites across the globe, has a daily circulation of 421,059 (ABC figures, April, 2009) and a readership of 1.3 million people worldwide. FT.com is the definitive home for business intelligence on the web, providing an essential source of news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community. FT.com attracts 11.4 million unique users, generating 83.2 million page views (ABCe figures, March 2009) and now has over 1.2 million registered users. For the Financial Times’ website, visit http://www.ft.com.

About IFC

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, creates opportunity for people to escape poverty and improve their lives. We foster sustainable economic growth in developing countries by supporting private sector development, mobilizing private capital, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments. Our new investments totaled $16.2 billion in fiscal 2008, a 34 percent increase over the previous year. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.