Migdal - thinking green

The guide for preserving our environment

Migdal, as the leading company in the area of long term savings and as a company that manages investments with responsibility and over a long period of time, is aware of the huge importance of the protection of the environment for the future generations. Therefore, we are committed to creating and maintaining a safe and healthy working environment for our employees, suppliers and customers, adopting a policy that streamlines and reduces the usage of energy, assimilating the "green office" culture and procedures, and affect positively, through our business and personal relations, towards increasing awareness and actions in order to preserve the environment.

Leading Responsibilty

The issue of the quality of the environment is gaining importance in the public agenda. In Israel andworldwide there is a wide consensus as to the planet's deteriorating situation, and regarding the role of men and business companies in reducing greenhouse gas emission, along with a significant decline in the usage of energy produced from fuel, coal and petroleum. The hard phenomenon of warming of the planet is also reflected in dramatic climatical changes; the issue of impoverishment of Israel's water sources, which has become a burning issue and puts us in a real danger, the increasing pollution, mainly in city centers, in light of the increase in the number of vehicles. All the above, along with other daily actions, have an ecological impact on the environment in which we live, often without been aware to it.

"Thinking green" is a realistic approach, which must be adopted by all of us in order to secure a better future to our children.

How?

When acting friendly towards the environment, we do so as per the following principles:

1. Reducing the impact on the environment

We are striving towards reducing indirect sub-effects such as greenhouse gas emissions. All the above, accompanied by our own, responsible and voluntary management. We are acting beyond the regulatory demands, with an approach that sees environmental responsibility as a potential for opportunities for innovation.

2. Environmental policy

Migdal's environmental responsibility plan defines objectives, principles and values that allow it to contribute to the environment. This policy means an environment friendly business proceeding, including performing a survey of environmental pollution, setting objectives for reducing the effect on the environment, providing various tools and solutions for handling the various issues, as well as training and integration among employees and managers.

3. Sustainability

Migdal deals with the financial area, therefore its impact on the environment is lower than that of other business sectors. In spite of the above, we notice Migdal's direct and indirect effects on the environmental reality in , mainly in the consumption of resources for office use. We are committed to a sustainable and educated management as part of the Company's business strategy as far as the reduction of the "ecological footprint". I.e., reducing our usage of spendable resources that are common to the public and the future generations. All employees and managers in Migdal constitute a significant link towards implementing and assimilating the environmental responsibility program. The procedures that are performed in the Company are partly systemic, but they are also integrated in the daily working routine, and they are relevant to all areas of life.

Implementation of principles

• Electricity

  Migdal, as a large company, is a massive user of electricity in order to operate air conditioning, lights and various devices. In , electricity is produced in the Israel Electric Corporation coal power stations. These stations pollute the air by themselves during the production process, which includes coal mining, transferring it to and burning it. In order to save on electricity consumption in the Company, Migdal installs controls and sensors in the lighting and air conditioning systems, in the offices and in meeting rooms.

• Computerization

  Migdal manages a wide computerization infrastructure. In environmental aspects, it means a very high electricity consumption in order to operate the computerization and air conditioning equipment that work intensively. Migdal leads a policy of reducing the usage of energy, therefore the Company prefers using cost-efficient computers and asks employees to turn off the computers by the end of the work days and in vacations, and it has automatic turn off on week ends. Starting from 2008 the Company performs virtual consolidation - cancellation of old servers with high energy consumption, and acquisition of servers that are more efficient in energy consumption as well.

• Paper and printers

  The raw material for producing paper are trees that are felled for this purpose. The trees constitute an important component in creating oxygen, therefore we should strive towards reducing, as much as possible, the usage of paper and at the same time increase its recycling through the existing infrastructure that exists in Israel. Migdal, as an office-based company, widely uses paper, which is an expendable product. Under the environment-friendly measures, we are working towards developing various solutions that reduce the usage of paper for various purposes.

• Waste

  The modern lifestyle is characterized with an increasing level of consumption of products and services, whose production and usage create massive waste. During the waste disintegration, various pollutants are emitted, including methane gas, that constitutes 9% of greenhouse gas. In addition, in most domestic waste is transferred to waste landfills, and as a result there is an unnecessary squandering of our valuable land resource. In order to reduce his burden on the atmosphere and on open lands, some of the waste may be recycled or re-used. Migdal implements recycling solutions such as transferring paper to a site that specializes in recycling, re-use of toners and ink cartridges, establishing collection centers for used batteries, a shift from non -expendable foamed plastic to paper cups.

• Transportation

  Vehicles are one of the sources for emitting carbon dioxide. This gas is one of the main reasons for the greenhouse effect and the global warming. Therefore, we at Migdal encourage cautious driving that takes the environment into consideration.

• Water

  Water constitutes a valuable resource in . The provides about one-third of the quantity, the main sources are beneath the earth in underground water. This resource is impoverishing, and it is in real danger. The stronger the global warming is, the lower the quantity of rain is every year. In Migdal we have a water discipline", and we are taking measures for saving money by installing dual-flush toilets and water saving devices on faucets.