Food security and sustainable agriculture
Responsible investment
Circular economy and innovation
Partnership with Worldwide Fund for Nature
Dialogue with society
The supply chain policy was modernised in the year under review. In addition to an update of
the human rights policy, Rabobank revised the criteria for environmental conservation and
biodiversity, and responsible practices for dealing with the rights and interests of communities.
In addition, a draft policy was formulated for addressing social conflict involving changes in
control over, and the use of, land, forests, fishing grounds and water sources. At year-end 2012,
Rabobank and Robeco committed their active support to the UN Global Compact programme,
which develops voluntary business principles for sustainable agriculture. By doing so, Rabobank
Group endorses its ambition to contribute to food security and more sustainable agricultural
supply chains.
In October 2009, Rabobank Group launched the Responsible Investment programme, which
is designed to align its investment services to the United Nations Principles for Responsible
Investment (UN PRI) and to make responsible investment practices an integral part of our
positioning in the asset management market.
All relevant group entities have since defined policy and started to implement it. In 2012,
Rabobank Private Banking, Rabobank International Global Financial Markets and Robeco
fleshed out the general goals of the programme into concrete goals for 2012 and 2013.
A policy paper was developed for investments in agri-commodity derivatives. The first investor
conference on responsible investments in the food and agribusiness was organised in June.
The annual in-house seminar in October focused mainly on the most challenging investment
categories for socially responsible investments, such as index products and alternatives.
Finally, meetings were organised to educate Private Banking account managers and
investment specialists about developments in responsible investment.
The circular economy is a generic term for an industrial economy that is restorative and in
which material flows are designed to re-enter the biosphere safely. The efficiency with which
businesses use raw materials is important to assessing the risks they incur and the production
chain in which they operate. Rabobank advocates chain efficiency and encourages customers
to take steps to increase their efficiency and reduce their industrial footprint. Rabobank
undertook the following activities in this area in the year under review.
- Rabobank developed and shared knowledge through the publication of'Pathways to a
Circular Economy', which it issued in collaboration with the Rotterdam Port Authority.
Rabobank supported 52 sustainable businesses in raising adequate finance for their
innovations in the areas of the circular economy and renewable energy. Rabobank also
opened an innovation desk.
- Rabobank uses the Flerman Wijffels Innovation Award, which was presented for the
eleventh time in 2012, to reward pioneers who champion sustainable and high-potential
innovations that can make a difference for people and the planet. The theme of the award
ceremony was the circular economy. The winner was Ibis Power, which has an idea for
generating wind energy on top of buildings. FlexSol won second prize with its flexible solar
cells and ClearDetections came in third with a detection method for harmful micro-worms.
The award money was EUR 125,000 in total; the winners are expected to use this money to
speed up the development of their innovation.
Rabobank Group works in partnership with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) both in and
outside the Netherlands. Rabobank and De Lage Landen presented a report on worldwide
developments in clean technology during the AWEA Wind Expo in Atlanta in 2012. The ties
between WWF and Rabobank Chile were intensified by developing a shared vision of
sustainability between WWF Chile, Rabobank Chile and local salmon farmers. This formed
the basis for the action plan and the follow-up actions that will be undertaken in 2013.
Rabobank is a socially responsible business that actively enters into dialogues with stakeholders
on issues affecting the bank, its customers and society at large. The groups of stakeholders that
have been identified for this purpose are customers, employees, customer interest groups,
government agencies and public interest organisations. Dialogue can be initiated by the
stakeholders. Alternatively, Rabobank invites expert public interest organisations that are willing
to enter into dialogue to express their views on Rabobank's sustainability policy as it is being
defined. Rabobank is also involved in periodic talks with a number of public interest groups.
22 Annual Report 2012 Rabobank Group
