Center-invest Bank has released a report on the work on the Principles for Responsible Banking of the United Nations Environment Program Financial Initiative (UNEP FI). The bank's speakers took part in pitch sessions and shared with the world community the experience of working in a socially responsible business based on the ESG banking model.
The Principles for Responsible Banking set out the banking industry’s role and responsibility in shaping a sustainable future and in aligning the banking sector with the objectives of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Now in its second year, membership of the PRB has grown from 132 to over 240 banks, representing approximately 40% of the global bank industry worldwide.
«We are proud to be part of UNEP FI and a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Banking. Working with UNEPFI has given us a new impetus to prove in new terms that we are a sustainable bank for southern Russia. In 2021, The Bank presented its balance sheet in terms of SDGs and National Projects. Based on the analysis of the data, the bank's liabilities, consisting of the equity capital of the raised ESG funds, and the directions for using ESG assets were assessed», - comments the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Center-invest Bank, Professor, Doctor of Economics. Vasily Vysokov.
Center-invest follows each of the 6 principles of Responsible Banking:
Alignment – The Bank is implementing the Strategy "ESG - Digitalization of the Bank's Ecosystem", taking into account the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Agreement, the priorities of Russia's National Projects
Impact & Target setting - The Bank has a positive impact in the region in the field of preferencial lending to the population, small and medium-sized businesses, the development of agribusiness, "green finance" and financial literacy. The bank is developing energy efficiency projects in southern Russia and became the first bank in the country to place green bonds on the Moscow Exchange.
Clients & Customers - The Bank encourages responsible cooperation with clients and provides information about each depositor's contribution to implementation of the SDGs and National Projects. It clearly shows how every Center-invest Bank depositor is contributing to the sustainable development of the region, the country, and the world.
Stakeholders - The Bank actively participates in the development and implementation of state programs for the development of entrepreneurship, regions, municipalities. By the Bank’s initiative, the Rostov Region carried out a comprehensive analysis of the indicators of 17 SDGs. The results confirmed the idea of the global competitive advantages of southern Russia as a region of sustainable development.
Governance & Culture – The Bank promotes good governance and a culture of responsible banking.
Transparency & accountability – The Bank is transparent about implementation of the Principles and records its impact and contribution to society’s goals.
Center-invest aims to further promote the Principles of Responsible Banking among clients, partners and government authorities, as well as to improve the efficiency of business and activities in the region.