The Chartered Banker Institute is proud to announce that it has become one of the first UK organisations to endorse the UN Principles for Responsible Banking. 

The Principles were developed by 28 of the world’s leading banks, all members of the United Nations Environment Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). The Principles are currently out for global public consultation until May 2019 and will become available for signature in September 2019, during the UN General Assembly. Until then banks and stakeholders can join this forward-looking coalition by becoming official endorsers of the Principles. 

The Principles provide guidance for banks to create value for their customers, shareholders and society. They are the first global framework to enable banks to integrate sustainability across all business areas, from strategic, to portfolio, to transaction level. The transparency and accountability mechanism of the Principles requires signatories to address their most significant impacts, set public targets and report back on progress. 

Simon Thompson, Chief Executive, Chartered Banker Institute commented: 

“Successfully embedding the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) at the heart of our sector is crucial. As the oldest banking institute in the world, we have a long-term commitment to setting and driving upwards the standards for knowledgeable, accountable and responsible bankers and, through, this work our support of the responsible banking agenda. Having launched the world’s first Green Finance Certificate in 2018, we are now ensuring that the PRBs are being included in all our qualifications. This will not only help embed sustainability within our sector but will demonstrate in a very practical way the social purpose of banking and help reconnect banks and society.”