2007: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research GS SUSTAIN Platform

Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research GS SUSTAIN Platform

In 2007, Goldman Sachs’ Global Investment Research began integrating environmental, social and governance analysis to research companies and industries through the new GS SUSTAIN Focus List. We announced our GS SUSTAIN platform during the United Nations Global Compact Leaders Summit to illustrate that integrating this criteria into traditional financial metrics can help identify investments that over the long term will sustainably outperform the market. Today, GS SUSTAIN reviews more than 3,300 companies for governance factors and 2,200 for stakeholder factors, including environment and social considerations. The GS SUSTAIN Focus List has outperformed its global benchmark by more than 40% from its inception in June 2007 through year-end 2014.

At the same time, we expanded our alternative energy company coverage and global economics research, focusing on macroeconomic themes, including the environment, through the Global Markets Institute.

Additional Milestone - Goldman Sachs Built Horizon Wind Energy Before Strategic Sale

In July 2007, we announced the strategic sale of Horizon Wind Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Goldman Sachs that developed and owned wind farm assets, to Energias de Portugal (EDP) for $2.5 billion. The company grew to more than 150 professionals under our ownership, with a portfolio of more than 1,000 megawatts of wind farm projects. The transaction was one of the largest renewable energy transactions at the time.