Integrating CSR into financial services
Promoting economic participation and diversity
Rabobank Group wants to create equal opportunities and economic participation for all people.
This central theme is rooted in Rabobank's cooperative history. We promote participation and diversity,
for instance by developing financial services for specific target groups, such as young people, the elderly
or people with disabilities.
Fostering social cohesion and solidarity
Rabobank Group means to foster a 'good life and good business'. The local Rabobanks annually
distribute cooperative dividend to civil-society groups and projects. Rabobank also actively runs social
funds such as the Rabobank Foundation and the Share4More employee fund. Rabobank Development
undertakes commercial banking activities globally in areas where there are relatively few banks.
Employees are encouraged to harness their knowledge and skills by volunteering for Rabo Development
or the Rabobank Foundation. The group entities individually also promote community investment.
Integrating CSR into our everyday financial services offering is another pillar supporting our high-quality
CSR policy. The various developments at group entities illustrate our further commitment. Rabo Real
Estate Group has drafted a CSR Charter to help the divisions shape their CSR policy. Obvion has explicitly
embedded CSR in its core values and a new mission statement. In line with the UN Principles for
Responsible Investment, Robeco adopted a draft ambition statement to the effect that CSR principles
should be progressively implemented in its investment process. Fleshing out these principles is the
most important aspect of the sustainability targets for 2009 and 2010. Sarasin and Schretlen Co also
placed more focus on CSR ambitions in their targets for the next few years. De Lage Landen bolstered
its CSR management structure.
Focus on key performance indicators
Rabobank Group adopted one or more key performance indicators for each central theme in 2008.
This not only helps to steer progress on the themes, but also to measure their integration into the core
processes as well as the results of our CSR efforts. The indicators comprise only part of the broad CSR
field and show Rabobank Group's focus on issues that matter. The performance indicators will be fleshed
out in 2009 and linked up with targets that will need to be achieved with effect from 2010.
Introducing sustainability to food agri chains
- Decision-making by the Rabobank Group Credit Policy Committee on policies pursued in the
food agri sector.
- Application of food agri sector policy to asset management.
Encouraging new production methods and renewable energy sources
- Extent of sustainable loans in billions of euros and as a percentage of total lending.
- Extent of sustainably managed assets in billions of euros and as a percentage of total managed assets.
- Carbon footprint in tonnes of carbon emissions per FTE.
Promoting economic participation and diversity
- Microfinance in millions of euros in countries other than the Netherlands (Rabobank Foundation and Rabo
Development portfolios) and as a percentage of total funding outside the Netherlands.
- Microfinance in billions of euros for SME start-ups and first-time home buyers, as well as guarantee facilities for
businesses in the Netherlands, and as a percentage of total funding in the Netherlands.
Fostering social cohesion and solidarity
- Number of employees involved in, and number of hours spent, volunteering and working on initiatives
developed by both the Rabobank Foundation and Rabobank Development.
- Cooperative dividend and donations contributed by Rabobank Group overall in millions of euros.
Result
- Global CSR rating.
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Rabobank Group Annual Report 2008
