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.

Collaborating with various stakeholder groups enables Aktia to evaluate and address their expectations. Aktia’s key stakeholders include customers, employees, shareholders, and financiers, as well as social entities such as authorities, partners, NGOs, and the media. Aktia maintains ongoing, open communication across multiple channels to enhance its operations. Aktia’s transparent engagement tools include the company’s website, social media platforms, stock exchange and press releases, customer newsletters, and regular updates to selected stakeholder groups. Aktia also engages with stakeholders through seminars, webinars, local events, trade fairs, and participation in projects. Additionally, Aktia takes part in industry forums to discuss trends, challenges, and opportunities, and monitors public debates related to its sector. Building open and transparent relationships with authorities, partners, and the media—both at the national and local levels—is a priority for Aktia. Aktia also seeks to be a meaningful social contributor locally by collaborating with schools and universities—offering scholarships, participating in educational events, and supporting students with their thesis work. Furthermore, Aktia stays connected with regional Aktia foundations, which fund various community activities, partly supported by dividends received from Aktia ownership.

How did Aktia identify and work on strategic business opportunities to increase positive and reduce negative impacts?

In its 2024 PRB Progress Statement Aktia reports that it identified and worked on strategic business opportunities to increase positive and reduce negative impacts as follows:

Aktia has developed plans to expand its range of green loan products, offering options tailored for both private and corporate customers. This initiative is supported by Aktia’s green and sustainability-linked bond framework established in 2023. Its implementation has been further accelerated by factors such as the Sustainability Guarantee provided to Aktia by the European Investment Fund and a seven-year EUR 75 million loan agreement signed in April 2024 with the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB), a portion of which is dedicated to financing environmental projects. Additionally, Aktia has the capacity to issue green and sustainability-linked corporate bonds, with criteria related to climate change mitigation determined on a case-by-case basis.

Recently, Aktia introduced a new green loan product called the Green Energy Loan, designed for both private individuals and companies, including housing companies seeking to undertake measures that enhance energy efficiency in buildings. Overall, the transition to a greener economy presents new business opportunities for Aktia.

 

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 Aktia, 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.aktia.com/sites/aktia-corp/files/sustainability/economic-responsibility/Aktia Bank Plc_PRB_Progress_Statement_2024.pdf

Note to Aktia: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

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.

Collaborating with various stakeholder groups enables Aktia to evaluate and address the expectations directed at Aktia. These expectations, along with Aktia’s sustainability initiatives, challenges, and areas for improvement, are detailed further in Aktia’s Annual Review 2022.

Aktia considers customers, employees, shareholders, financiers, and social entities—including authorities, partners, NGOs, and the media—as the key stakeholder groups relevant to its operations.

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

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

Sustainability is at the core of Aktia’s operations. Given the nature of its business, ESG considerations are highly relevant to both Aktia and its stakeholders, and are consistently integrated into its investment and lending strategies. Aktia maintains an ongoing, open dialogue with its stakeholders through various channels to enhance its operations. These include Aktia’s website, social media, stock exchange and press releases, customer newsletters, and regular communication with selected customer groups.

The demand for green financing and green loans is rapidly increasing, and Aktia anticipates this trend will continue to grow. Aktia is actively developing new products within its lending business to expand its sustainable offerings. Establishing sustainability criteria for lending is a key component of Aktia’s climate strategy. Since early 2022, Aktia has adopted its own responsible lending principles, which identify sectors with the highest potential ESG risks and guide Aktia’s exclusion policies accordingly.

Sustainability is also a fundamental aspect of Aktia’s investment activities. Aktia adheres to its responsible investment principles across all funds managed by Aktia. These principles are also applied in its discretionary asset management and other investment services. As part of its sustainability efforts, Aktia aims to further increase the proportion of client assets under management invested in SFDR Article 8 or Article 9 funds—commonly known as sustainable or ESG products.

 

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 Aktia, 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.aktia.com/sites/aktia-corp/files/sustainability/meeting-un-sustainability-goals/PRB-Self-Assessment.pdf

Note to Aktia: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.