Sustainable Initiatives

Banca Popolare di Sondrio joins to several national and international sustainability initiatives such as:

every component of society from businesses to third sector organisations, universities and operators in the world of communications and culture.

At this time, the SDGs seek to provide an impulse to the business world in particular, given its key role in the achieving sustainable development. With this in mind, sustainability reporting by the Group will be configured within this framework, highlighting the close relations that exist between the pursuit of business objectives and the various sustainability goals.

Furthermore, in 2018, the Bank renewed its support for the Global Compact project by joining, as a founding member, also the Italian network (Global Compact Network Italia – GCNI).

The Ten Principles of the Global Compact have always been part of Banca Popolare di Sondrio's strategy and corporate culture, as well as of the banking and financial activities it carries out on a daily basis. Therefore, as every year, our bank confirmed its support for the United Nations Global Compact and reiterated its commitment in the field of corporate sustainability by publishing its Communication on Progress (COP).

UNEP FI: PRB E NZBA

As stated in the 2022-2025 Business Plan, in late 2023, the Bank's Board of Directors approved the membership to the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), a collaboration between UNEP and the global financial sector to channel private sector funding towards sustainable development. The initiative brings together more than 500 banks, insurers and investors with assets exceeding US$170 trillion.

The membership of UNEP FI includes affiliation to two related initiatives, the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) and the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA).

The Principles for Responsible Banking, created by UNEP FI in 2019, are 6 voluntary-participation principles designed to bring purpose, vision and ambition to sustainable finance.

Signatory banks commit to embedding them across all business areas.

Net-Zero Banking Alliance (“NZBA”), launched in 2021, gathers together 142 bank that commit to define decarbonization strategies and set targets in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
NZBA is also a climate accelerator adopted by many signatories of PRB that want to set ambitious climate targets.

By defining a climate strategy, banks undertake to  operate consistent with a maximum temperature rise of 1.5° C above pre-industrial level.

The association was born in 2009 and today the association has +320 member companies in Italy with more than 2 million employees.

In 2023, the Banca Popolare di Sondrio Group joined this association with the aim of creating an inclusive corporate culture that values all diversity.

To date, the Charter has been signed by 54 institutions, as well as by ABI itself, which correspond to 92% of the value of the assets of the banks participating in the association and 92% of employees in the sector.

As evidence of the growing sensitivity towards social issues, the Bank has signed this document to support its commitment to equal opportunities by promoting an inclusive work environment open to the values of diversity and spreading the full and effective participation of women at every level of the company.

Through the collaboration with FEduF, BPS provides students with classes that enable them to reflect on circular economy topics and conscious management of resources, as well as to deepen knowledge of sustainable development and civil economy models.

The Bank has been a member of the association since 2022: the intention is to share ideas through working groups and moments of discussion, stay updated on regulations and policies and give greater visibility to its commitment by showing the initiatives, products and services made towards change in a more equitable and sustainable society.

In the 2017 Annual Report, the TCFD published a list of recommendations aimed at supporting companies in drafting the financial disclosure relating to climate change.

To align its reporting with international best practices, the Bank has therefore decided to formally support the TCFD as well as to review its climate-related reporting in the TCFD Report, published attached to the NFS.