The EBF and UNEP FI  jointly organised Responsible Banking Workshop on 5^th February 2019 in Brussels, with the participation of Vice-President Dombrovskis, to help a broad set of banks and other stakeholders to learn about the draft Principles for Responsible Banking, provide an opportunity to exchange views, and to encourage more banks to adopt the Principles, when finished.

The  European banks assisting the UNEP FI in developing the principles shared how they will align their strategies with societal goals, how services and relationships can be used to accompany banking clients in their transition efforts, and how public targets can be set in a transparent and accountable manner.

PRESENTATIONS

• Simone Dettling, UNEP FI
• Sonia Hierzig, Share Action
• Toni Ballabriga, BBVA
  

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VIDEOS

1. Video: What are the Principles for Responsible Banking and how can banks implement them? Click here
   In this video bankers and specialists discuss what the principles can mean for banks and society. These interviews were conducted on the fringes of the joint workshop with the Finance Initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme, or UNEP FI, and the European Banking Federation in Brussels.

2.  Full session recordings can be found on EBF’s YouTube channel. Click here

Banks play a pivotal role in financing the global transition towards a sustainable economy, and recognise this as part of their purpose and role in society. In December 2018, the European Banking Federation endorsed the initiative for Principles for Responsible Banking, launched by the Finance Initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme.

The Principles will represent a first comprehensive global framework for the integration of sustainability across all business areas of banks. It will act as a catalyst for continuously increasing positive impact actions while reducing actions with a negative impact on people and the environment. The draft Principles that benefited from the input from 28 banks, nine of which are European and all of which have endorsed the initiative, and indicated their intention to adopt the Principles, when finalised are now submitted to an open consultation for a duration of six months, starting at the end of November.