Case study: How Helaba works with its clients and customers to encourage sustainable practices

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.

Helaba uses a systematic approach to identify stakeholders, considering both their influence on its operations and its impact on them. Helaba engages actively with its customers to understand their needs and expectations, particularly regarding sustainable finance and ESG-related products. Helaba maintains open communication with regulators and policymakers to keep up with changing sustainability regulations and ensure compliance. By collaborating with non-governmental organizations, Helaba gains insights into societal expectations and emerging sustainability trends. As active members of various industry associations, Helaba collaborates to develop best practices and industry standards.

Feedback from stakeholder engagement is directly incorporated into Helaba’s action planning process, ensuring that sustainability initiatives meet stakeholder expectations and adhere to industry best practices.

Additionally, Helaba regularly reports on business performance to the Supervisory Board, which has the highest-ranking control function and includes employee, political, and business representatives.

How did Helaba work with its clients and customers to encourage sustainable practices and enable sustainable economic activities?

In its 2023 PRB Reporting and Self-Assessment Template Helaba reports that it works with its clients and customers to encourage sustainable practices and enable sustainable economic activities as follows:

Helaba engages actively with corporate customers and Savings Banks to promote ESG transformation, viewing ESG not merely as a regulatory requirement but as an opportunity to strengthen customer relationships and drive sustainable business growth. Helaba aims to build a responsible business by adhering to applicable laws and internal guidelines through an effective compliance system. This approach ensures that Helaba operates in the public interest, prevents criminal activity, and contributes positively beyond its core business.

Helaba has implemented a Code of Conduct that provides guidance to employees, customers, and the public on responsible behaviour in daily business and regarding its products. This code addresses issues such as conflicts of interest, insider knowledge, white-collar crime prevention, data protection, transparency, corruption, fair competition, and tax compliance.

Additionally, Helaba supports its customers in the social and ecological realignment of their business through transformation financing. With over 20 different ESG products, including green and social loans, ESG-linked loans, and sustainable development loans, Helaba creates incentives for its customers to achieve greater sustainability. Helaba has also established a dedicated Sustainable Finance Advisory team that assists customers in developing solutions to meet their specific sustainability-related financing needs. The Helaba Green Bond Framework sets the criteria for issuing green bonds, adhering to the highest market standards: the ICMA Green Bond Principles and the EU Green Bond Standard. Consequently, proceeds from green bonds are exclusively used to finance renewable energy projects based on the EU taxonomy, contributing to the advancement of SDG 7 – Affordable and clean energy. Helaba actively seeks dialogue with its stakeholders to enhance its business and sustainability strategy, engaging in various formats and initiatives, including its regularly updated materiality assessment.

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

• • • 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.

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 Helaba, 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.helaba.com/media/docs/de/nachhaltigkeit/prb-reporting-and-self-assessment.pdf

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