Rabobank is examining options to pursue impact investing more vigorously and has the
ambition to grow further in financing and services for customers in sectors with a positive
social impact. Rabobank assist those customers in placing equities and bonds. It will also add
products and services to its range that target not only financial returns, but expressly aim to
generate a positive social impact as well, such as impact deposits. Together with PGGM and
FMO, Rabobank launched the Impact Alliance in 2013: an initiative for jointly advancing the
development and application of a methodology for measuring and monitoring social impact.
Social dialogue
Rabobank is a socially responsible business that actively enters into dialogues with stakeholders
on issues with a significant impact on 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 social welfare organisations (NGOs). Dialogue can be
initiated by the stakeholders. Alternatively, Rabobank invites expert social welfare organisations
that are willing to enter into dialogue to express their views on Rabobank's policies as they are
being defined. Rabobank is also involved in periodic talks with a number of social welfare groups.
In the reporting year, Rabobank engaged in dialogue with social welfare organisations about
the following issues.
Discussion partner
Topic of discussion
Result
UN Global Compact
Sustainable agriculture
Rabobank contributed to multi-stakeholder dialogue on the contents of the Sustainable
Agriculture Principles of the UN GC. Rabobank initiated Dutch stakeholder consultation
on this in conjunction with UN Global Compact Network Netherlands.
FAO and OECD
Sustainable agriculture
Contribution to multi-stakeholder dialogue with regard to responsible agricultural
investments
FAO
Sustainable agriculture
Contribution to multi-stakeholder dialogue with regard to Responsible Agriculture
Investment Principles (RAI) of FAO
IFC and Dutch Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
Sustainable agriculture
Contribution to investigation by multi-stakeholder feedback group of greening of
agriculture on the basis of voluntary and non-voluntary mechanisms
OECD Responsible Business
Conduct Programme
Responsible trade chains, particularly clothing
industry in Bangladesh and implementation of
OECD guidelines for the financial sector
Contribution to multi-stakeholder consultation and transparency of Dutch
financial sector
Oxfam Novib, Friends of the Earth
Netherlands, Worldwide Wildlife
Fund
Land grabbing by palm oil businesses in Africa and
Asia
Talks with NGOs on their reports and views
Rabobank took the initiative for dialogue with a company, together with other
international banks.
Discussed indications from NGOs in talks with customers
Oxfam Novib
Wildfires in connection with palm oil businesses in
Indonesia
Rabobank and RSPO do not permit 'open burning'. There are no indications of
involvement of business customers.
Oxfam Novib
Good governance in connection with land and land
use (land grabbing)
Explained policy
Consultation with Oxfam Novib on new draft policy
Fair BankGuide
General bank policy, livestock transport,
transparency, human rights, sustainable real estate,
ship scrapping, ethics of corporate income tax
Cooperated in all investigations of the Fair Bank Guide
Society for the Protection of
Animals
Cross-border shopping for docking of draft horses
and haflingers
Consultation ongoing
Greenpeace, Oxfam Novib
Climate policy and complaints about steel company
and gas company
Complaints included in risk monitoring
Centre for Research on
Multinational Corporations
Transparency of banks' lobbying activities
Discussed with NGO. Rabobank undertook to publicly explain views on financial sector
regulation on website and in external reporting
Oxfam Novib, Dutch Ministry of
Foreign Affairs
Indications of land grabbing by suppliers of
business client from indigenous communities in
Brazil in connection with sugar industry
Investigated internally. Explained facts and position.
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Responsible approach to investments in various
trade chains, on the request of the Minister of
Foreign Trade
Explained Rabobank's policy and approach. Rabobank seeks responsible investments on
the basis of sustainability policy, screening of customers, engagement with businesses
on practical application of policy and through contributions to multi-stakeholder
organisation (Round Tables) for greening of agricultural commodities
Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs
New forms of climate financing
Contribution to multi-stakeholder dialogue
Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs
Tripartite consultation on soybeans and palm oil
Contribution to multi-stakeholder dialogue with national government and social
welfare organisations
Media
Position on shale gas
In response to questions in the media on Rabobank's policy on the exploration and
production of shale gas, an extensive investigation was launched into the way in which
customers of Rabobank in the Netherlands, the US, Australia and New Zealand are
involved in shale gas and what the views of customers and social organisations are.
Rabobank's position will be formulated on that basis.
Retail customers
Various topics
The Cooperative Sustainability department has answered questions from fifteen retail
customers on a range of sustainability topics, which reflected the issues stated above.
30 Annual Report 2013 Rabobank Group
