The Brighter Planet Visa credit card enables customers to earn one EarthSmart point for every $1 spent in purchases. The points earned are used to help build community-based renewable energy projects across the United States.

"Brighter Planet is working with Bank of America to help Americans make a direct impact on climate change," said Patti Prairie, chief executive officer of Brighter Planet. "With a majority of Americans wanting to do something about the environment, the Brighter Planet Visa credit card offers a practical and effective way for individuals to take personal steps to build a clean energy future. Consumers should conserve what they can, then use the card to offset what they cannot."

How the Brighter Planet Visa Card Works

Points earned with the Brighter Planet Visa credit card are automatically redeemed each month to support renewable energy projects. Each 1,000 points earned is projected to offset one ton of carbon dioxide. Eliminating one ton of carbon dioxide has the same global warming impact as taking an average car off the road for two months.

The rewards program features are:

• Spend $1 in retail purchases and earn one EarthSmart point (1,000 points equal one estimated ton of carbon offsets).
• For every two base points earned through December 2008, Bank of America will make a matching contribution of one additional point.
• Earn 1,000 bonus points after the first card use, which should more than offset the impact of the creation and delivery of the new card.
• Earn an additional 1,000 bonus points after signing up for paperless credit card statements.
• Through Brighter Planet's website brighterplanet.com, cardholders can calculate their carbon footprint, learn ways to reduce their own environmental impact, participate in an online community to get more involved in the green movement, monitor clean energy projects funded from their card use and track their footprint reduction progress from the use of the card.

"The Brighter Planet Visa credit card - in combination with other steps consumers take to change their day-to-day energy consumption - provides consumers with an added opportunity to help counteract global climate change and invest in the environment," said Michael Rhodes, Bank of America senior vice president of Business Development for North America Card Services. "Our partnership with Brighter Planet is the latest example of Bank of America's commitment to protecting the environment and growing environmentally sustainable business practices across the globe."

Brighter Planet's partnership with premium carbon offset provider NativeEnergy will ensure that only projects resulting in emission reductions beyond business-as-usual activities and that have community social value will be included in their program. In addition, all projects will be reviewed by Brighter Planet's highly regarded Project Selection Committee run by leading environmentalists. Initial undertakings include wind and methane capture projects with new projects and technologies to be added over time.

"This credit card doesn't only buy goods - it buys the world time in the fight against global warming," said Mindy S. Lubber, president of Ceres, a leading U.S. coalition of investors and environment groups who serves on the Brighter Planet Project Selection Committee. "By paying for projects that reduce greenhouse gases, the credit card educates consumers and allows them to do something more with their rewards than purchasing airline tickets and hotel stays."

Consumers can learn more about or apply for the Brighter Planet Visa credit card by calling visiting newcardonline.com and using priority code FABZDN. The card will be available at Bank of America banking centers in early 2008.

In addition to the Brighter Planet Visa credit card, Bank of America and Brighter Planet are offering the ability for millions of current Bank of
America WorldPoints cardholders to redeem points to offset greenhouse gas emissions. The two companies are also planning to launch new deposits products in early 2008 that will help Brighter Planet further support the construction of renewable-energy projects.

A Corporate Leader in Environmental Sustainability

The Brighter Planet Visa credit card is part of Bank of America's $20 billion commitment announced in March of this year to support the growth of environmentally sustainable business activity to address global climate change. This 10-year initiative encourages development of environmentally sustainable business practices through lending, investing, philanthropy and the creation of new products and services.