Munich, 2 July 2009 - The technology group The Linde Group has become a member of the Bavarian Environmental Pact. "Sustainability is a key issue for us. It is therefore only logical that we should support this environmental initiative established by the Bavarian State Government and Bavarian industry," explained Professor Dr Wolfgang Reitzle, Chief Executive Officer of Linde AG, when the membership certificate was presented to the group by the Bavarian State Premier Horst Seehofer. "Not only is Linde an exemplary company in terms of environmental protection. In addition, we are committed to pioneering technologies that significantly advance environmental protection in a huge variety of industry sectors."

"The Bavarian Environmental Pact is a superb example of successful cooperation between government and industry in the field of environmental protection," explained Seehofer. "The initiative is based on the fundamental conviction that environmental protection is the joint responsibility of politicians, industry, society and the state."

Linde's activities in the field of environmental protection include the production of environmentally friendly energy carriers and fuels such as hydrogen and innovative technologies for solar cell manufacture - products and processes which are becoming increasingly important in the context of global warming. The member companies of the Bavarian Environmental Pact have committed themselves to achieving environmentally sustainable economic growth by saving resources and using ecofriendly technologies.

The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 52,000 employees working in around 100 countries worldwide. In the 2008 financial year, it achieved sales of 12.7 billion euro. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment - in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.