Premier Farnell named highest ranking FTSE 250 company in FTSE CDP Carbon Strategy Index Series

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Increased CSR commitment during tough economic conditions is recognised by UK’s leading industry carbon strategy benchmark, demonstrating the Company’s continued commitment to the environment, its customers, suppliers and employees

7 July 2010, London - Premier Farnell plc (LSE:pfl), the leading multi-channel, high service distributor of electronic products and services to millions of design engineers and purchasing professionals globally, announces it has been named as the highest ranking FTSE 250 company distributing electronics design engineering components to design engineers in the new FTSE CDP Carbon Strategy 350 Index (“the Index”).

The Index provides a “carbon-tilted” version of the FTSE 350, highlighting variation based on constituents’ exposure to carbon risk relative to their sector peers. It is the first assessment of its kind to utilise future-orientated criteria rather than past emissions data, and is designed to provide both retail and institutional investors with the opportunity to achieve diversified market exposure in addition to managing the impact of climate change in their investments.

The Index is the first of a series of benchmarks, The FTSE CDP Carbon Strategy Index Series, being jointly produced by the FTSE Group, the Carbon Disclosure Group (‘CDP’) and carbon performance agency ENDS Carbon. The Series has been designed in response to growing awareness of the significant potential impact of climate change on investment returns.

Premier Farnell is currently in its fourth year of its carbon reduction programme, through which it has implemented a number of initiatives to help achieve its overall goal of reducing its impact on the climate to the lowest practicable and economic level, whilst reducing the costs and risks associated with purchasing energy. The Company continues to work hard to make further reductions. Recent measures to improve its performance have included the overhaul of lighting systems at all of its major facilities and the initiation of an engagement programme aimed at encouraging more employees to consider their levels of energy consumption.

Premier Farnell’s commitment is further evident in its achievements by reducing its carbon footprint by 23% since 2006, while continuing to grow the international reach of its business. Innovation has featured strongly with the company’s own award-winning biodegradable packaging for electronic components being integrated into its service to customers, becoming a champion for green technology in electronic design.

Harriet Green, CEO of Premier Farnell said “As a global company, we are aware of the strategic importance of the social and environmental impact that our activities can have and we believe it is critical that we conduct our business in a sustainable and responsible manner. Our ranking in the Index - 11th overall and the highest placed FTSE 250 constituent - is testament to the hard work and commitment shown in this area by all of our employees. Our carbon reduction effort remains an integral part of our Trust Agenda, as our CSR drive rests at the very core of our culture. Our employees tell us every year, in our regular survey of their views, how important our environmental and community focus is to them. We continue to work hard for further improvements as part of our drive to remain best in class in all aspects of our business performance.”

About Premier Farnell
Premier Farnell plc (LSE:pfl) is leading the way in the high service, multi-channel provision of essential products, information, software and technology solutions to electronic design engineers, maintenance and repair engineers and purchasing professionals globally. Its differentiated proposition includes 29 local language transactional websites, and the critically important element14 ecommunity for design engineers – an industry first (www.element-14.com). With sales last year of £795.3m and underlying profits of £54.8 the Group distributes its comprehensive portfolio of products and services throughout Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, supported by a global supply chain of over 3,500 suppliers and an inventory profile developed to anticipate and meet its customers’ needs. Recently awarded Platinum status by the Business in the Community Corporate Responsibility Index the business takes its CSR commitments very seriously.

Key facts:
• Over 3,500 leading suppliers
• Over 400,000 products stocked with access to over four million
• Millions of customers in over 156 industries

While global in scope, Premier Farnell recognises the individual needs of each market and has continued to internationalize its model accordingly, trading locally under different brand names. Its primary electronics businesses trade as Farnell in the UK, India, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Newark in the US, Canada and Mexico, and Premier Electronics in China and Hong Kong. In Singapore, Malaysia, and Brazil the operation is known as Farnell Newark.

For more information visit the website at www.PremierFarnell.com.

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Contact Details:
Aakriti Kaushik
PR Manager, Europe and Global
Premier Farnell and Farnell
Tel: +44 (0) 113 279 0101
Email: akaushik@premierfarnell.com
Web: www.premierfarnell.com

Jonathan Roberts
Account Director
Pinnacle Marketing Communications Ltd,
Tel: +44 (0) 208 869 9339
Email: j.roberts@pinnaclemarcom.com
Web: www.pinnaclemarcom.com

Hui-Yun Chen
Communications APAC
Premier Farnell plc
Asia Pacific
Tel: +65 6380 3239
E-mail: hychen@premierfarnell.com
Web: www.premierfarnell.com

Janice Fleisher
Communications Americas
Tel: +001 (1) 773 907 5941
Email: jfleisher@newark.com
Web: www.newark.com

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