Appendices to the corporate social
responsibility report 2015
Appendix 2 Dialogue with social welfare organisations and clients
Contents Management report Corporate governance Consolidated financial statements Financial statements Pillar 3
This appendix includes lists of examples of dialogues that the
central Sustainability department of Rabobank engaged in with
social welfare organisations and clients. For each organisation,
the topics covered and the outcomes are given. 'Dialogues with
clients' lists the client's industry and region, the type of issue
and a short description thereof, as well as the status category
and status.This information expands on the theme 'Social
debate'on page 72.The list only covers those client discussions
that were held in response to controversies that prompted
Rabobank to have a discussion with the client. A table at
the end of Appendix 2 helps link issue types to types of
controversies.There is also a table showing the various statuses
assigned to the discussions with clients.
Dialogues with organisations in 2015
Organisation
Topic
Note
Fair Finance Guide International,
Oxfam Novib; VBDO
The fiscal-ethics policy of Rabobank
The second fiscal-ethics policy statement published in the 2014 Annual
Report of Rabobank; Rabobank shared the 6th place in VBDO Tax
Transparency Benchmark, and received a mention as the top scorer on two
of the six assessment areas.
Fair Finance Guide International/
Dutch Fair BankGuide
Compliance with policy commitments; general social
policy; climate and energy
Provided explanation on policy and developments; provided information
and data for assessment by social welfare organisations
OECD
Due diligence in agricultural commodities; commercial
and production supply chains
Rabobank vision and Round Table on Responsible Soy on sustainable
supply chains formulated during OECD Global Forum on Responsible
Business Conduct, 19 June 2015.
National Point of Contact, OECD
Application of OECD guidelines for multinational
enterprises in the production and commercial supply
chain for sustainable palm oil
Dialogue with NCO and Friends of the Earth Netherlands
Friends of the Earth Netherlands
Complaint about palm oil company Bumitama in
Indonesia in connection with forest fires in Kalimantan
The company is nota client of Rabobank and therefore Rabobank did not
address this complaint.
Friends of the Earth Netherlands
Three complaints about the palm oil company Wilmar
in Indonesia, Nigeria and Uganda
All complaints were investigated. Rabobank discussed the complaints
with social welfare organisations and with Wilmar, and promotes direct
discussions between social welfare organisations and Wilmar with regard
to Indonesia. Complaints regarding Nigeria and Uganda do not contain any
material new facts about those investigated in the past.
2015 Global Landscapes Forum,
Paris
Financers' role in financing smallholder producers of
sustainable palm oil
Presentation at the 'Finance and Trade' forum of the conference
Land Governance Multi-
stakeholder Dialogue; Minister for
Foreign Trade and Development
Cooperation, Lilianne Ploumen
Land governance in banking policy
Due diligence explained in the Palm oil working group in Indonesia;
expressed support for Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Tenure
of Land (VGGT) in the VGGT working group and in Rabobank's statement
regarding land rights; made proposals for the practical implementation
of the VGGT via contributions and support of guidelines in the Interlaken
Group Guidance Tool; organised a Member Committee for this stakeholder
dialogue.
Professor Bastiaan Philip Reydon,
University of Campinas, Brazil
Potential land conflicts involving native peoples and
agricultural companies in Brazil as a result of a court
ruling in the state of Piaui
Matter was investigated. No indication of acts attributable to clients.
Rather, clients may be victim of new laws regarding actions with regard to
ancient land rights. There is not yet clarity about the legal consequences
and rights that arise from the legal ruling in light of the complicated
regulations and competences of various government bodies for
determining the validity of land claims of third parties on land for which
legal land titles are present. Legal due diligence procedures were revised
internally.
Oxfam Novib
Land governance policy of Rabobank
In response to the publication of Rabobank's policy statement on land
governance, Oxfam Novib asked questions about the implementation of
the policy. Rabobank will enter into a discussion about the topic.
PAX
Investigation into banks' involvement in controversial
weapons: cluster bombs and nuclear weapons
Rabobank provided the requested information about the policy and
the implementation thereof. In a report about the financing of nuclear
weapons, Rabobank was listed in the 'runners-up' category. PAX's
investigation did not reveal any indication of Rabobank's involvement in
the financing of controversial weapons.
Professor Roos Vonk, Reclame
Code Commissie (RCC, Dutch
Advertising Code Committee)
Animal welfare policy
Explanation of the animal welfare policy and due diligence via RCC
procedure and in personal meeting.
128 Rabobank Annual Report 2015
