Contents Introduction Management report Appendices Corporate governance Consolidated Financial Statements Company Financial Statements
Dialogue with clients
Rabobank engages with clients on material sustainability
controversies and alleged issues regarding the environment,
human rights, labour rights and governance. In 2017, the
sustainability department had 56 such engagements under
management. The table below provides a short description of
the topic of discussion and the industry and region in which
the issues arose. Colleagues of local Rabobank offices closer
to the respective clients play an important role in conducting
these dialogues.The sustainability department decides which
engagements should be held, tracked and monitored, and
they will contact the colleagues responsible for the client
relationship to discuss a course of action. Progress and
interim results of the engagements are agreed, monitored
and aggregated by the sustainability department. Some
engagements can take several years before they are concluded
and 43 of the dialogues listed below have been carried over
from last year. During 2017 we added 13 new engagements.
We closed a total of 13 engagements, as indicated in the table.
Details on the nature of the allegations' 'issue type', the current
status of the issue and the status of the engagement complete
this overview. Furthermore, the Rabobank IssueTable 2017
shows the classes of issues we use and provides the number
of engagements in which the respective issue plays a role. One
engagement can encompass more than one issue.The table
Status Category provides a description of the categories we use.
Dialogues with clients in 2017
industry region issue type
animal protein Asia G-G1
animal protein Asia S-L1
animal protein Europe G-P1
animal protein South America E-E2
beverages Asia S-H1 S-L5
beverages South America S - L4
cocoa Africa S - L2
cotton Europe S - LI S - L2
energy/metals Africa E-E4
energy/metals Africa E-E4
energy/metals Africa E-E4
energy/metals Africa E-E4
energy/metals Europe G-P1
energy/metals South America S-H1
energy metals South America G - P1
farm inputs North America E-E2S-H2
farming South America E-E2
farming South America E-E2G-P1
farming South America E-E2S-L5
farming South America E-E2
farming South America E-E2S-L5
farming South America E-E2
farming South America E-E2
farming South America E-E2S-L5
farming South America E-E2
food Europe G-G1
food North America S - L3
food South America S - L3
grains Asia E-E2
palm oil Africa S-H2
palm oil Africa S-H2
short issue description
licences missing
client allegedly linked to slave labour in supply chain
client active in restricted activity, agreed to change
to alternative
illegal clearing - reforestation underway and fine
paid
welfare, health and working conditions on
plantation insufficient; improvement progress on
track
fatalities during maintenance work
child labour vs poverty reduction dilemma
child labour vs poverty reduction dilemma
allegations of negative impacts to environment in
supply chain
allegations of negative impacts to environment in
supply chain
allegations of negative impacts to environment in
supply chain
allegations of negative impacts to environment in
supply chain
suspected non-compliance with policy
allegations of abusing public security forces to
remove protestors
suspected non-compliance with policy
alleged negative impacts to people and
environment
damage to HCV
damage to HCV
quality employee facilities and environmental issues
damage to HCV
quality employee facilities and environmental issues
environmental issues - establishing reserve area
handling of chemical products and packaging
quality employee facilities and environmental issues
mapping of reserve and protection areas
tax avoidance
allegation of treating pro-union staff unfairly
allegations of hindering unionisation
allegations of burning to clear land
alleged negative impact on community
alleged insufficient information/compensation to
communities
issue status status category
open client relationship terminated
closed client is taking action
open client is taking action
open client is taking action
open client is taking action
open authorities involved
open client is taking action
open client is taking action
open client is taking action
open client is taking action
open client is taking action
open client is taking action
open investigation
open client has resolved issue
open investigation
open authorities involved
closed client relationship terminated
closed client relationship terminated
closed client has resolved issue
open client is taking action
open client is taking action
closed client has improved policy/behaviour
open client is taking action
open client is taking action
open client is taking action
open client is taking action
closed client has resolved issue
open client is taking action
open authorities involved
closed insufficient evidence
open authorities involved
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