Bankinter bases its ESG management on excellent corporate governance foundations, as has been recognised by analysts. The entity builds its sustainability strategy on these, in response to the expectations of its stakeholders, integrating them into its frameworks for action, particularly the Group's Sustainability Policy.
Governance is developed through eight strategic lines. The main milestones achieved in the implementation of the 3D plan are described below.
Corporate governance
Responsible business practices
Sustainable finance
Non-financial risks
Stakeholder engagement
Tax strategy
Customer-centric services
Information security
One of the milestones in the 3D Plan was the updating of policies, including the Environmental and Climate Change Policy and the Accessibility Policy.
The update of the Environmental and Climate Change Policy was due to the need to adapt it to new legislation, which has been growing profusely in recent years, and to extend its scope to the management of indirect environmental aspects, such as the impact of the Bank's financial activity on the natural environment.
The new Accessibility Policy covers new aspects of the Group's management, such as digital and cognitive accessibility and the inclusion of the elderly in the groups that benefit from social responsibility.
A single policy was established for all the Group's companies, subsidiaries and branches to unify its Health and Safety Policies. The purpose of this new unified Policy is to set out the general principles and lines of action of the organisation and to assign responsibilities for its implementation and for the protection of the employees of Bankinter Group and persons visiting its premises, in relation to safety, health and well-being.
Bankinter is a member of the main international alliances in the field of sustainability, such as the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). It has signed up to the Principles for Responsible Banking, undertaking, among other things, the commitment to align its business strategy with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement.
In 2021, the bank joined the Net Zero Banking Alliance, which is sponsored by UNEP FI, aiming to achieve net zero emissions from its financial activity by 2050.
The Group increased the volume of ESG business and the offer of sustainable products in line with the objectives set, both for individual customers (through in-house and third-party sustainable investment funds, alternative investment vehicles and financing housing) and for companies (to which it offers financing linked, among other things, to sustainability and renewable energy projects).
During implementation of the 3D Plan, new sustainability criteria were added, and some existing criteria were expanded, in the risk policies for the energy and extractive sectors, in particular issues regarding exposure to thermal coal-fired power generation and to conventional oil and gas, and coal mining.
Bankinter Portugal consolidated its commitment to sustainability in 2023, after completing its integration into the Bank's strategy during the previous year, adapting the 3D Plan to the requirements of the country and its business there.
The main milestones included:
In recognition of its good governance and strong financial, environmental and social performance, Bankinter has been included in the global Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for the sixth consecutive year, and in the European index for the seventh year. The bank was also recognised in other sustainability indexes and by ESG rating agencies in 2023, including the FTSE4Good, MSCI ESG, CDP and the Bloomberg GEI. S&P Global has included Bankinter in its Sustainability Yearbook, which details the leading companies in corporate sustainability at the global level. The bank was also included in the new IBEX ESG index, launched by Bolsas y Mercados Españoles (BME).
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