“Each year considerable volumes of paper are needed to print our annual report for distribution, along with the notice of the annual general meeting, to shareholders. In a few weeks a new annual report will be delivered to the printer. Maybe this year we can manage with a smaller print run?” asks Stefan Solberg, Hydro’s head of Investor Relations.

He points out that a large share of Hydro’s shareholders in Norway now use of internet banking and its associated electronic share trading and securities deposit facilities, which are linked to the Norwegian Central Securities Depository, VPS Investor Services. At the VPS Investor Services website users can simply register their preference for receiving the annual report, and the notice of the annual general meeting, in electronic form instead of being sent the printed version.

E-mail reminder

If you click to receive the documents electronically, information from the company will be placed in the electronic inbox in your user area of the VPS Investor Services. You will also receive an e-mail reminder whenever a new electronic document becomes available.

“We are encouraging all our shareholders in Norway who do not have special reasons to receive these documents in printed format to register for receipt of the documents electronically via VPS Investor Services. In this way we can all help spare the environment,” explains Solberg.

He emphasizes that all shareholders have a legal right to receive the annual general meeting invitation and the annual report on printed paper. It is voluntary to choose to receive these documents electronically. If you decide on such a choice, you should be aware that it will also apply to all other company shares you may have deposited in the same shareholder's account at VPS Investor Services.

This is how you do it

Here is how you order the documents to be delivered electronically:

• Enter ”Investor services" (Investortjenester) through your internet share depository bank or through your broker's home page.
• On the opening page for "Investor Services", click on "Additional services" in the left-hand column menu.
• A small table will show you which additional services you may order, and which services you have ordered already.
• Choose "Order" next to the table cell for "Receive messages, callings and information electronically, Shares".

The special service in VPS Investor Services for choosing to obtain the annual report electronically applies to Norway-based shareholders only.