Talisman Energy Tops the Charts as the Highest Ranked Corporate Citizen in the Energy Industry in Canada

JUN 21, 2006 - 14:17 ET


CALGARY, ALBERTA--(June 21, 2006) - Talisman Energy Inc. (TSX:TLM) (NYSE:TLM) ranked highest of the four energy companies listed in the Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada Ranking, placing 18th overall out of the 291 companies evaluated by Corporate Knights, a Toronto-based magazine specializing in corporate ethics. Near the top score of 92.12, Talisman scored 85.52 considerably higher than the industry average of 68.01.

Corporate Knights describes the companies listed on the Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada Ranking as "doing the best job at fulfilling their end of the social contract" and not as the companies merely providing "the glossiest sustainability report". Further information is available at www.corporateknights.ca/downloads/best50_2006.pdf.

Another special survey conducted by Corporate Knights entitled Energy & Conflict: a map and report card on human rights and conflict exposure for Canadian energy companies operating abroad also highlights Talisman. In it, Talisman is identified as one of two companies to receive the highest proficiency rating regarding human rights management and as the only company to have signed on to the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative. Further information is available at www.corporateknights.ca/downloads/CK16_energy_and_conflict.pdf.

Indicators used in the analysis of the Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada Ranking include:

- Board Diversity
- Board Independence
- Chief Executive Officer Pay
- Corporate Lobbying
- Offshore Tax Havens
- Key Executive Gender Diversity
- Key Executive Retention
- Pension Coverage
- Reduction in Total Toxic Releases (Bonus)
- Shareholder Conflicts
- Tax Generation
- Toxicity Air Releases Per Employee
- Work Stoppages

Data sources used in the analysis and compilation of the Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada Ranking include:

- Forensic accountants, pension fund consultants and pension fund managers in the Toronto financial community
- SEDAR/EDGAR (public filings)
- Federal Lobby Registry
- Pollution Watch (pollutionwatch.org)
- NPRI (National Pollutant Release Inventory)
- SHARE (Shareholder Association for Research and Education)
- HRSDC (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada) Workplace Information Directorate
- Standard & Poor's for GICS (Global Industry Classification Standard^®) information and index constituents
- Tax Justice Network
- US Environmental Protection Agency

The Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada Ranking is available at www.corporateknights.ca/downloads/best50_2006.pdf.

The indicators used in the analysis of the Human Rights Management Proficiency include:

- Human rights definitions, policies, commitments, mechanisms and implementation
- Disclosure on human rights, royalty and tax payments to governments in host countries
- Endorsement of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations Norms on Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations or has signed onto the Global Compact
- Signatory of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative

The Energy & Conflict special survey is available at www.corporateknights.ca/downloads/CK16_energy_and_conflict.pdf

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Talisman Energy Inc.
Reg Manhas, Manager
Corporate Responsibility and Government Affairs
(403) 237-1449
(403) 231-3629 (FAX)
Email: rmanhas@talisman-energy.com