London, April 6, 2009
--The FT Sustainable Banking Awards, the leading global awards for socially and environmentally responsible banking and investment, have generated 165 entries from 117 institutions in 42 countries in their fourth year.
This very strong response – including a substantial number of entries from emerging markets banks – underlines the extent to which financial institutions around the world are focusing on environmental, social and corporate governance considerations amid the worst crisis to hit their industry in generations.
The awards – created by the Financial Times and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, to recognise banks and other financial institutions that have shown leadership and innovation in integrating sustainability objectives into their operations – have grown in popularity since their launch in 2006. In the inaugural awards, 98 entries were received from 48 banks in 28 countries.
“We are delighted to see such a major response to the 2009 Awards from across the global banking and investment community,” said John Ridding, Chief Executive of the Financial Times. “As traditional business models come under scrutiny due to the ongoing financial crisis, there is clearly increased focus on the role the financial sector can play in providing long-term solutions to the world's most pressing issues.“
“This strong response reflects that financial institutions increasingly recognise socially and environmentally sustainable investments are profitable,” said Lars Thunell, IFC Executive Vice President and CEO. “There is also a growing recognition that meeting the needs of consumers at the bottom of the pyramid is key to future growth and prosperity around the world.”
Entries were received in five categories: Sustainable Bank of the Year, Emerging Markets Sustainable Bank of the Year, Achievement in Basic Needs Financing, Banking at the Bottom of the Pyramid, and Sustainable Investor of the Year. The Award for Achievement in Basic Needs Financing was a new category for the 2009 edition, highlighting the increasing urgency to find solutions to the under-supply of basic needs such as energy, water and food.
The awards for Achievement in Basic Needs Financing, Banking at the Bottom of the Pyramid, and Sustainable Investor of the Year, were open to all financial institutions, including non-banks. The other two categories were open only to banks.
The judging panel will meet this month to select the shortlists of award nominees. Each category will have a shortlist of five finalists -- except Emerging Markets Sustainable Bank of the Year, where, as in previous years, the winner will be chosen from four banks awarded prizes for regional leadership in Africa/Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America respectively.
The winners will be announced and the awards presented on June 4, 2009 at a gala dinner at the Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel in London.
The dinner will conclude the 2009 FT Sustainable Banking Conference, the major annual summit on sustainable banking and finance that will gather some of the world’s most renowned visionaries, strategists and financial decision-makers.
Confirmed speakers for the Sustainable Banking Conference include:
· Fabio Barbosa, Chairman, Banco Real
· Beet Heemskerk, Chairman, Rabobank International
· Simon Zadek, CEO, AccountAbility
· Sharan Burrow, President, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
· Alex Counts, President and CEO, Grameen Foundation
· Tom Scholar, Managing Director, International and Finance, HM Treasury
· Lars Thunell, Executive Vice President and CEO, IFC
The judging panel selecting the nominees and winners in this year’s awards includes leading figures involved in sustainable finance and development:
· John Willman, UK Business Editor, Financial Times (co-chair)
· Rachel Kyte, Vice President, Business Advisory Services, IFC (co-chair)
· David Harris, Manager, Responsible Investment, FTSE Group
· Richard Laing, Chief Executive, CDC Group Ltd
· Elizabeth Littlefield, CEO, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP)
· Herman Mulder, international sustainable development advisor
· Tessa Tennant, Co-founder, Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia (ASrIA)
Leading consultancy Sustainable Finance Ltd is technical advisor for the programme.
The list of participating institutions for the 2009 FT Sustainable Banking Awards is in the attached Appendix. For more information, including registration for the Sustainable Banking Conference and Awards dinner, please go to
www.ftconferences.com/sustainablebanking
.
For further information, please contact:
Emma Gilpin-Jacobs, Financial Times, London, +44 (0) 20 7873 4447
Lizzie Allen, Financial Times, London, +44 (0) 20 7873 4463
Azmar Sukandar, Financial Times, Hong Kong, +852 2905 5519
Lotte Pang, IFC, Washington, DC, +1 (202) 758 4290
lpang@ifc.org
Notes to Editors:
About the Financial Times
The Financial Times, one of the world’s leading business news organisations, is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Providing extensive news, comment and analysis, the newspaper is printed at 24 print sites across the globe, has a daily circulation of 421,026 (ABC figures, February 2009) and a readership of 1.3 million people worldwide. FT.com is the definitive home for business intelligence on the web, providing an essential source of news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community. FT.com attracts 7.1 million unique users, generating 72 million page views (ABCe figures, March 2008) and now has over one million registered users.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, creates opportunity for people to escape poverty and improve their lives. We foster sustainable economic growth in developing countries by supporting private sector development, mobilizing private capital, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments. Our new investments totaled $16.2 billion in fiscal 2008, a 34 percent increase over the previous year. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
.
APPENDIX
Entries to the 2009 FT Sustainable Banking Awards were received from the following 117 institutions:
-ABN AMRO, India
-ACBA Leasing, Armenia
-Access Bank, Azerbaijan
-Access Bank, Nigeria
-ACLEDA Bank, Cambodia
-Actis, UK
-Acumen Fund, US
-Agroinvest, Serbia
-Allianz RCM, UK
-Alsis Funds, US
-AMK, Cambodia
-Anglo Zimele, South Africa
-ANZ Bank, Australia
-Aureos Advisers, UK
-Aviva Investors, UK
-Banco Bradesco, Brazil
-Banco Compartamos, Mexico
-Banco do Brasil
-Banco Espiritu Santo, Portugal
-Banco Ficohsa, Honduras
-Banco Galicia, Argentina
-Banco G&T Continental, Guatemala
-Banex, Nicaragua
-Bank of Kathmandu, Nepal
-Bank Sarasin, Switzerland
-Bao Shang Bank, China
-Barclays, UK
-Calvert Foundation, US
-Caspian Advisors, India
-Center-Invest Bank, Russia
-Centras Capital, Kazakhstan
-Citi, US
-Clickatell, US
-Credit Suisse, Switzerland
-Daegu Bank, Korea
-Deutsche Bank, Germany
-Developing World Markets, US
-Development and Employment Fund, Jordan
-Dexia Asset Management, Belgium
-DFCC Bank, Sri Lanka
-Doha Bank, Qatar
-Doughty Hansen, UK
-E+Co, US
-EnConfianza, Mexico
-Equity Bank, Kenya
-Exim Bank, Tanzania
-F&C Management, UK
-FINAE, Mexico
-Financiamiento Progresemos, Mexico
-FINEM, Mexico
-Finpatria, Mexico
-FIRA, Mexico
-First MicroFinanceBank, Pakistan
-First National Bank, South Africa
-Fortis Investments, Germany
-Global Environment Fund, US
-Grameen America, US
-Grupo FinTerra, Mexico
-Grupo Santander Brasil
-Gtres Servicios Ambientales, Mexico
-Guaranty Trust Bank, Nigeria
-Habib Bank, Pakistan
-Harbin Bank, China
-Hatton National Bank, Sri Lanka
-Henderson Global Investors, UK
-Hipotecaria Su Casita, Mexico
-Hipotecaria Vertice, Mexico
-Impax Asset Management, UK
-Industrial Bank, China
-Industrial Development Bank of Turkey (TSKB)
-Inecobank CJSC, Armenia
-Investec, South Africa
-Itau Unibanco, Brazil
-Ixe Banco, Mexico
-Kenya Commercial Bank
-Lok Capital, India
-Lombard Investments, US
-Mahasemam Trust, India
-Microcredit Enterprises, US
-MicroEnsure, UK
-Minlam Asset Management, US
-NABARD, India
-National Rural Support Program, Pakistan
-Nedbank, South Africa
-New Heights Microfinance Bank, Nigeria
-Ningxia Yanchi County Association for the Advancement of Women, China
-Opportunity International, UK
-ParaLife Group, Switzerland
-Partner Microcredit Foundation, Bosnia & Herzegovina
-Pictet Asset Management, UK
-Pro Mujer, Peru
-Root Capital, US
-Russian Agricultural Bank
-Sacombank, Vietnam
-SIDBI Foundation for Micro Credit, India
-Sinapi Aba Trust, Ghana
-Smart Communications, Philippines
-SNS Asset Management, Netherlands
-Spandana Sphoorty Financial, India
-Standard Chartered, UK
-State Export-Import Bank, Ukraine
-Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, Japan
-Tameer Microfinance Bank, Pakistan
-Tamweelcom, Jordan
-Threadneedle Asset Management, UK
-Triodos Bank, Netherlands
-Trust Bank, Ghana
-Turkish Economy Bank
-United Savings and Agricultural Credit, Cameroon
-VantagePoint, US
-Ventureast, India
-Water Capital, Mexico
-Wells Fargo, US
-WestLB, Germany
-WIZZIT, South Africa
-YES Bank, India
-Zurich Boliviana, Bolivia
