Thunes, a Singapore-based global payments company, today announced its affiliation with two global ESG initiatives: the United Nations Global Compact and Ecovadis. Earlier this year, Thunes successfully passed sustainability assessments and submitted respective reports to both institutions. As a result, Thunes was awarded the Ecovadis silver medal for 2022, placing the company in the top 25% of performers for business sustainability. By doing so, Thunes is amongst the first Fintechs to make sustainability reporting part of its regular operations and strategy.

The UN Global Compact initiative is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, aiming to align the strategic actions of businesses with the UN sustainable development goals (UN SDG) on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Similarly, responsible business practices lie at the heart of daily operations at Thunes. For example, 71% of its clients take proactive steps to ensure they do not sell goods or services to entities that do not respect human rights.

The Ecovadis initiative, regarded as the world’s most trusted business sustainability rating, ranks organisations on their environmental, social, and ethical impact across 198 classifications and 160 countries. Recognition from the Ecovadis initiative is a significant achievement for Thunes, setting an example for how Fintech companies can enhance sustainable behaviours and practices. For example, containers were installed in several of Thunes’ offices to collect recyclable materials. In its Paris office alone, 271kg of waste was recycled in 2021, permitting the manufacture of three scooters and 646 new glass bottles.

The UN Global Compact and the Ecovadis certification represent a tangible expression of Thunes’ commitment to sustainability and responsibility as core principles of its operations. They also provide a means to action sustainable outcomes in the long term and inspire further environmental, technological and social change within the fintech industry.

Peter De Caluwe, CEO of Thunes commented: “We believe that a successful business must also be responsible. So we are very proud to join the UN Global Compact and Ecovadis initiatives and become one of the pioneers among fintech companies that focus on Environmental, Social and Corporate governance. We have begun to integrate ESG reporting into the heart of our daily strategy and modus operandi, and will continue to advocate the long-term value, rather than just short-term gains, within our company.”

The UN Global Compact and Ecovadis initiatives will contribute to Thunes’ ongoing ESG programme: Turning Transactions into Actions. The programme aims to highlight the proactive and long-term role that every business must play in environmental, social, and corporate governance.