Gone are the days when the only measure of a company’s effectiveness was the profit it earned. Today the key issues are how, at what cost and with what added value will this profit be achieved. The spectre of an ecological catastrophe and social changes that redefine relationships between companies and their customers cause a fundamental change in the approach to economic development. Sustainable development, or responsible management of the ESG aspects of our business, is both a necessity and a duty that can no longer be postponed until later.
CSR (corporate social responsibility) and sustainable development are parts of BNP Paribas Bank Polska’s DNA. The Bank’s purpose is to be an agent of positive change and a leader in sustainable finance. The Bank’s CSR and Sustainable Development strategy is closely integrated with the “Fast Forward” business strategy. The Bank’s guideline is the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted in 2015, which sets out 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Maria Krawczyńska
CSR and Sustainable Development Office Director, Member of the Management Board of the BNP Paribas Foundation
E for Environment
Tackling climate change is one of the greatest challenges for humanity today. BNP Paribas Bank Polska’s environmental responsibility is manifested, among other things, by minimizing the negative impact of its operations on the natural environment, limiting its involvement in sectors that are particularly harmful to the natural environment, developing environmentally-friendly products and services, and providing eco-education for its employees, customers and the community.
Therefore, BNP Paribas Bank Polska has identified nine sectors that are particularly sensitive to environmental, social and corporate governance risks. In each of them the Bank pursues its CSR Policies and Regulations. To become a customer of the Bank, an entity has to fulfil a number of requirements regulated by the Policy for a given sector. In the case of customers from the most harmful sectors, the Bank takes strategic decisions to withdraw from providing its services. This concerns the tobacco sector and coal-fired energy generation. The BNP Paribas Group announced its complete withdrawal from financing customers engaged in the generation of coal-fired electricity, coal mining and coal infrastructure by 2030 in all OECD countries. It should be added that restrictions in cooperation with the coal energy sector have been introduced since 2015.
Parallel to the withdrawal from financing the coal sector, the Bank is dynamically developing its offer of products and services which support pro-environmental solutions. In 2020 “green financing” granted by the Bank reached PLN 993 million (with the total value of loans granted by the Bank to finance projects supporting sustainable development reaching PLN2.7 billion as at the end of 2020). In September, the Bank concluded a guarantee agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for PLN 71.2 million to support the financing of Polish energy efficiency projects. Previously, it co-organized the issue of Cyfrowy Polsat’s green bonds and supported Akuo’s and Qair’s investments in renewable energy. It has also made a significant contribution to energy transformation by granting funds to over 20,000 households for photovoltaic installations. “Zielona Hipoteka” (Green Mortgage) is also one of the products addressed directly to individuals – it is a loan on special terms for people applying for the financing of energy-efficient properties.
BNP Paribas is also trying to reduce the environmental costs of its own operations. In October it signed a contract with Respect Energy, under which 100 percent of the electricity purchased directly by the Bank will come from renewable sources, mainly from hydroelectric power plants. This will allow the Bank to significantly lower its carbon dioxide emissions and will reduce the emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.
The Bank is also implementing solutions that contribute to minimizing paper consumption. Since April 2020 both the Bank’s customers and employees sending documents as part of the internal procedures can use the Autenti platform. In 2020 over 290,000 documents were signed in all areas of the organization without the use of paper.
The Bank also promotes eco-friendly attitudes among its employees, customers and the general public. After the success of the Bank of Green Changes educational campaign conducted in 2019, in April 2020 the Bank launched the second edition of the campaign under the slogan “Responsible consumption and sustainable lifestyle”, which covered a variety of topics, including the impact of the pandemic on the natural environment, sustainable agriculture and food production, responsible purchasing and eco-mobility. Over 3,500 employees participated in both editions.
S for Social
Corporate social responsibility can be understood in a broad sense and in many ways. BNP Paribas Bank Polska focuses on its responsibility towards employees by ensuring, among other things, that they have equal access to development or promotion possibilities. One example of such commitment to the idea is a grassroots initiative strongly supported by the Bank #WOMEN changing BNP Paribas, aimed at promoting and implementing equality measures for women, and activating men to support them. The goal is to unleash the potential of women and build a diverse organization.
The pandemic was a huge challenge in the area of responsibility towards employees. All those who could switched to working remotely as quickly as possible (95% of the headquarters staff), and appropriate safety measures were provided in the branches. In an internal survey as many as 84% of the respondents positively evaluated the actions taken by the Bank in the context of Covid-19.
An important aspect of social responsibility is the Bank’s increasing availability for customers and its commitment to society. For many years the Bank has been increasing the accessibility of its branches to people with disabilities. Already 51 outlets can boast of having a “Barrier-Free Facility” certificate (Obiekt bez barier), and more are in the process of being audited and certified. They are all adapted to the needs of the deaf thanks to the possibility of remote connection with a sign language interpreter, and to the needs of the visually impaired thanks to special document templates.
In 2006 the BNP Paribas Foundation was established, whose mission it is to responsibly invest in people, ideas and projects by carrying out and supporting innovative initiatives in the areas of education, culture and social solidarity. An employee volunteer programme has also now been operating at the Bank for ten years. Its slogan is “You can count on me”. In 2020 the Bank’s employees worked a total of 22,507 hours as part of their social commitment – for the third time they became involved in the Noble Parcel (Szlachetna Paczka) campaign, they also pursued their own voluntary projects and actively supported the battle against the pandemic by sewing protective masks for those in need.
G for (corporate) governance
Managing ESG aspects in BNP Paribas Bank Polska is treated as the key element of the Bank’s development strategy and it is planned on a long-term basis. At the end of 2020 BNP Paribas Bank Polska set up the Sustainable Development Council which oversees all aspects of ESG in the organization and is responsible, among other things, for defining and monitoring strategic goals in the area of responsibility and for overseeing the sustainability of products and services. More importantly, it also operates beyond traditional structures thanks to which it can more easily harmonize initiatives undertaken in different areas of the Bank.
Responsible management of the Bank was appreciated. Bank BNP Paribas can boast of being ranked first in the general classification and in the banking, finance and insurance sector category in the 13th (2019) and 14th (2020) edition of the Ranking of Responsible Companies.
Promoting sustainable development
The common challenge for all companies engaged in promoting ESG is educating the public. An effective way to reach consumers is to combine educational aspects with marketing communication. On the assumption that to achieve great things you have to start with yourself, in one of this year’s campaigns, BNP Paribas Bank Polska approached the subject of building responsible attitudes to draw attention to the world’s greatest contemporary problems. Agenda 2030, which sets 17 Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs is the Bank’s guideline for these actions.
Cooperation with the organizers of the Kraków environmental film festival has a similar goal. Over the next three years the Kraków Green Film Festival, as it has been known so far, will be held under the name BNP Paribas Green Film Festival. The Bank also regularly publishes podcasts on ecological topics as part of the “BNP Paribas Talks” series.
Partnerships also play a significant role in promoting sustainable development. In 2020 the Bank continued its cooperation with, among others, the UN Global Compact Network Poland, UNEP/GRID-Warszawa, Stowarzyszenie Rolnictwa Zrównoważonego “ASAP” (a sustainable agriculture association), Koalicja na rzecz Rozwoju Rynku Żywności Bio (coalition for development of the bio food market) and Cool Farm Alliance (CFA). It also joined the Zielona Wstążka #DlaPlanety (green ribbon for the planet) campaign as its partner.
Concern for sustainable development should be inscribed in the strategic agenda and business objectives of all entities that want to conduct their operations in a responsible manner. There are many ways to achieve business goals while meeting ESG requirements and to creatively promote the idea of sustainable development and they should each time be adapted to the challenges facing a given entity and to the specificity of its operations, as well as to the needs and expectations of the stakeholders.
Follow us
