Case study: How Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall AG works with its clients and customers to encourage sustainable practices
Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall AG is a prominent provider of Bausparen and housing financing, offering a wide variety of products and services. Through its offerings, Schwäbisch Hall advances sustainability in society by enabling homeownership, stabilizing the real estate market, serving as a source of intergenerational wealth, and supporting the transition to a net-zero future by financing the climate and energy upgrades of private residential buildings. Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall AG is a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) and is, accordingly, working with its clients and customers to encourage sustainable practices and enable sustainable economic activities. Tweet This!
This case study is based on the 2025 Responsible Banking Progress Statement by Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall AG prepared in relation to its implementation of the PRB, that can be found at this link. Through all case studies we aim to demonstrate what ESG/ sustainability reporting done responsibly means. Essentially, it means: a) identifying a company’s most important impacts on the environment, economy and society, and b) measuring, managing and changing.
Which Principles for Responsible Banking have been addressed?
The Principles for Responsible Banking addressed in this case are:
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- Principle 3: Clients and Customers
- Principle 4: Stakeholders
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- How Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall AG proceeded with stakeholder identification and consultation, and
- How Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall AG worked with its clients and customers to encourage sustainable practices and enable sustainable economic activities
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Stakeholder identification and consultation
Please describe which stakeholders (or groups/ types of stakeholders) you have identified, consulted, engaged, collaborated or partnered with for the purpose of implementing the Principles and improving your bank’s impacts. This should include a high-level overview of how your bank has identified relevant stakeholders, what issues were addressed/results achieved and how they fed into the action planning process.
Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall AG actively engages in dialogue with its customers and other stakeholders to gather feedback and better understand their needs and expectations. To successfully steer the company, it is essential to have accurate insights into stakeholders’ social, environmental, and economic interests and to align activities accordingly. When identifying stakeholders, Schwäbisch Hall focuses on diversity and their relevance to the organization. Key stakeholders include customers, DZ BANK, cooperative banks, back-office staff, and sales advisors. Additionally, suppliers, service providers, and industry associations are highly relevant to the business of Schwäbisch Hall. The Bausparkasse also involves representatives from non-governmental organizations, science, and politics, regularly discussing sustainability issues with external partners. The focus is on the transparent presentation of the activities and credible communication. Through ongoing dialogue with representatives from business, politics, science, and culture, the Bausparkasse actively participates in discussions on climate change within the real estate sector, utilizing various formats such as bank forums for cooperative bank representatives and events like “Schwäbisch Haller Gespräche” and “Politik-Talk im Turm” held at its premises.
Furthermore, Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall AG is a member of key organizations in science and sustainability and actively participates in numerous initiatives and associations, including:
• Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft
• Verein für Umweltmanagement und Nachhaltigkeit in Finanzinstituten e.V.
• Deutscher Verband für Wohnungswesen, Städtebau und Raumordnung e.V.
Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall AG also regularly conducts customer satisfaction surveys to monitor and improve its services.
How did Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall AG work with its clients and customers to encourage sustainable practices and enable sustainable economic activities?
In its 2025 Responsible Banking Progress Statement Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall AG reports that it works with its clients and customers to encourage sustainable practices and enable sustainable economic activities as follows:
Schwäbisch Hall actively assists its clients in financing sustainable new construction and energy-efficient renovations of privately owned housing, collaborating with cooperative banks to contribute toward meeting climate goals. Its range of products and services includes information on energy-efficient modernization, comprehensive advice for banks on green financing, and suitable financing options for energy-efficient refurbishment projects, new builds, and home purchases. The company also provides guidance on available government support. Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall AG continuously expands these offerings. In 2024, the focus remained on strengthening collaboration with energy consultants, broadening training opportunities, and developing supporting tools for its sales team.
The portfolio features various customer tools, advisory resources for sales partners, and specialized products, including green covered bonds.
UN Principles for Responsible Banking: Accelerating a positive global transition for people and the planet
With over 300 signatory banks representing almost half of the global banking industry, the Principles for Responsible Banking are the world’s foremost sustainable banking framework. Through these Principles, the banking community takes action to align core strategies, decision-making, lending and investment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and international agreements such as the Paris Climate Agreement.
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References:
This case study is based on published information by Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall AG, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following link:
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