Case study: How Hamburg Commercial Bank works with its clients and customers to encourage sustainable practices
Hamburg Commercial Bank (HCOB) is a private commercial bank based in Hamburg, Germany, specializing in structured finance solutions. The bank provides expert support for financing commercial real estate projects, primarily within Germany and nearby European regions. Additionally, HCOB holds a strong position in the global shipping finance market. Hamburg Commercial Bank 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 2023 CSR Report by Hamburg Commercial Bank, 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 Hamburg Commercial Bank proceeded with stakeholder identification and consultation, and
- How Hamburg Commercial Bank 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.
A fundamental aspect of Hamburg Commercial Bank’s extensive sustainability efforts is ongoing and proactive engagement with stakeholders. Through a thorough stakeholder analysis, HCOB has recognized its primary stakeholder groups, which include clients, investors, owners, employees, supervisory authorities, the public, rating agencies, and media representatives. The Bank fosters an active and continuous dialogue with these stakeholders, addressing the unique needs of various interest groups through tailored dialogue formats. The insights gained from these discussions are integrated into the Bank’s day-to-day sustainability initiatives and inform the evolution of its sustainability strategy.
How did Hamburg Commercial Bank work with its clients and customers to encourage sustainable practices and enable sustainable economic activities?
In its 2024 PRB Reporting and Self-Assessment Template Hamburg Commercial Bank reports that it works with its clients and customers to encourage sustainable practices and enable sustainable economic activities as follows:
Hamburg Commercial Bank’s daily business decisions and interactions with clients and customers are shaped by established principles and policies outlined in various frameworks, including its Code of Conduct. HCOB has adopted a Sustainability Framework and set out defined Guiding Principles. The comprehensive ESG-integrated lending process consists of four key components: the Blacklist, the ESG decision matrix, the ESG Scoring, and the new Sustainable & Transformational Finance Framework (STFF). In 2023, the Bank worked to enhance the capabilities of its relationship managers, empowering them to engage more effectively with clients, particularly concerning the impacts of their activities. To further bolster this strategic dialogue, additional ESG-focused training sessions were planned for 2024, specifically emphasizing the implementation of the STFF across all market units.
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.
FBRH Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) Assurance:
First class PRB assurance services: The result of solid, hands-on ESG/ Sustainability experience
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- FBRH is a GRI Certified Training Partner (Global), ISEP Training Centre and a member of CPD.
- FBRH builds trust. Over 200 reviews from top professionals from around the world demonstrate our ability to build strong, trusting business relationships.
- FBRH possesses a unique skill set that combines ESG/sustainability certified training, experience in advisory services and report preparation, and ESG/sustainability report assurance.
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The combination of all the above empowers FBRH to provide first class Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) assurance services.
References:
This case study is based on published information by Hamburg Commercial Bank, 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:
https://www.hcob-bank.com/en/media/csr-report-2023/
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