Case study: How Skurups Sparbank 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.

Skurups Sparbank has engaged in stakeholder dialogues on sustainability with representatives from the following key groups:
• The bank’s board – through in-depth interviews
• The bank’s principal shareholders – through in-depth interviews
• The bank’s three largest customer sectors (real estate/construction, transport, and property) – through in-depth interviews
• The bank’s employees – via workshops and surveys
• Students – through workshops

A common consensus among these groups is that sustainability is viewed as both a fundamental requirement and a competitive advantage for the bank. They expect the bank to prioritize, communicate, and continuously improve its sustainability efforts, as well as to serve as a source of knowledge within the field.

To support this, Skurups Sparbank has identified two critical areas for improvement: knowledge and communication.

Additionally, each year Skurups Sparbank surveys its private and corporate customers on sustainability topics alongside its regular customer satisfaction assessments. The results indicate that Skurups Sparbank’s customers increasingly perceive the bank as practicing strong sustainability measures, taking societal responsibility, and making investments with a future-oriented mindset.

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

In its 2024 PRB Progress Statement Skurups Sparbank reports that it works with its clients and customers to encourage sustainable practices and enable sustainable economic activities as follows:

During corporate lending, a sustainability assessment is integrated into Skurups Sparbank’s overall business evaluation to ensure that corporate loans do not entail sustainability or ethical risks.

Skurups Sparbank provides a range of banking products designed to support sustainable investments, including Energy Loans, Solar Loans, and Green Car Loans.

In accordance with MiFID II and IDD requirements, Skurups Sparbank gathers clients’ sustainability preferences during advisory meetings and throughout its advisory processes.

In partnership with Ramboll and Hemma, Skurups Sparbank offers assistance to its customers seeking to improve the energy efficiency of their properties.

Throughout the year, Skurups Sparbank has adopted a working method aligned with the industry initiative Sustainable Building Industry. This initiative aims to combat economic crime within the construction sector, foster fair competition, and ensure workers’ rights are upheld.

In May 2024, Skurups Sparbank opened a new bank branch to enhance access to financial services and facilitate face-to-face meetings.

As a savings bank, a core part of Skurups Sparbank’s mission is to give back to the community it serves. Skurups Sparbank actively engages in various community initiatives, including sponsoring local associations, supporting development projects, promoting energy efficiency, and providing financial education to young people.

In 2024, Skurups Sparbank invested a total of SEK 3,382,179 in community initiatives.

To recognize local businesses and associations that promote sustainable development, Skurups Sparbank annually presents awards for Sustainable Company of the Year and Sustainable Association of the Year.

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 Skurups Sparbank, 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://internetbank.swedbank.se/ConditionsEarchive/download?bankid=1111&id=WEBDOC-PRODE230055165

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