NEW YORK, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The McGraw-Hill Companies today announced it has been named one of the "Greenest Big Companies in America" in Newsweek magazine''s 2009 Green Rankings, which evaluates the environmental performance, policies and reputation of the 500 largest U.S. corporations. The Corporation ranked among the top 15 percent of major U.S. companies for sustainability.

The Corporation was recognized for integrating environmental responsibility as a fundamental part of its overall corporate citizenship. In recent years, several green initiatives, including capital improvements for energy and resource efficiency, have been undertaken across The McGraw-Hill Companies. Specific activities include opening a new LEED silver-certified "green" building in Dubuque, Iowa, which was built with recycled and regionally manufactured materials; upgrading thousands of lighting fixtures in facilities around the world to energy-efficient lamps; improving workspace design; regular waste audits at all of its facilities to reduce waste and increase recycling; and upgrading heating and cooling systems to be more energy efficient.

"We are deeply committed to environmentally friendly business practices and proud that our environmental performance and policies rank among the very best of America''s largest enterprises," said Harold McGraw III, chairman, president and CEO of The McGraw-Hill Companies. "Our commitment to sustainability and to reducing our carbon footprint is among the most important contributions we can make as a corporation. We take this responsibility very seriously and remain committed to being a leader in this area."

In 2007, the Corporation established Green Teams, a collection of McGraw-Hill employees who gather together to find ways to improve environmental performance and then work to implement solutions. Green Teams are located in more than 20 McGraw-Hill offices across the country and participate in activities such as paper conservation, building-wide environmental awareness campaigns, recycling old electronic and office equipment and beautifying local parks.

A complete list of Newsweek''s 2009 Green Rankings can be found at http://greenrankings.newsweek.com/.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor''s, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2008 were $6.4 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

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The McGraw-Hill Companies

CONTACT: Jason Feuchtwanger, Director, Corporate Media Relations of The
McGraw-Hill Companies, office, +1-212-512-3151, mobile, +1-347-419-4169,
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Web Site: http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/