Keystone Bank, Barclays, others launch global principles for responsible banking

Keystone Bank Limited has become one of the founding signatories of the Principles for Responsible Banking, committing to strategically align its business with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

By signing the Principles for Responsible Banking, Keystone Bank joins a coalition of 130 banks worldwide including Barclays Bank, representing over USD 47 trillion in assets, in committing to taking on a crucial role in helping to achieve a sustainable future.

Taking place at the start of the UN General Assembly, the official launch of the Principles for Responsible Banking marked the beginning of the most significant partnership to date between the global banking industry and the UN.

“The UN Principles for Responsible Banking are a guide for the global banking industry to respond to, drive and benefit from a sustainable development economy. The Principles create the accountability that can realize responsibility, and the ambition that can drive action,” said UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres at the launch event, attended by the 130 founding signatories and over 45 of their CEOs.

Also speaking, Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) explained that a banking industry that plans for the risks associated with climate change and other environmental challenges cannot only drive the transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient economies, it can benefit from it.

“When the financial system shifts its capital away from resource-hungry, brown investments to those that back nature as solution, everybody wins in the long-term,” Anderson noted.

Commenting on the development, executive director, Keystone Bank Limited, Yemi Odusanya said Keystone Bank is convinced that only in an inclusive society founded on human dignity, equality and the sustainable use of natural resources can our clients, customers and businesses thrive.

According to Odusanya, “By signing up to the Principles, we commit to “using our products, services and relationships to support and accelerate the fundamental changes in our economies and lifestyles necessary to achieve shared prosperity for both current and future generations.

“The Principles for Responsible Banking are supported by a strong implementation and accountability framework. By signing them, Keystone Bank commits to being transparent on both our positive and negative impact on people and planet. Keystone Bank will focus where it has the greatest impact – in its core business – and set, publish and implement ambitious targets to scale up positive and address any negative impacts in line with global and local goals.

“Keystone Bank believes that business can and should be an effective steward of our planet as well as a force for good in society at the same time a generator of wealth for shareholders and stakeholders. We recognize that the success of our business, and the sustainability and survival of our planet are tightly aligned with the Principles for Responsible Banking. As industry leaders we are committed to implementing the Principles for Responsible Banking in our business and practices and to being an effective ambassador for these principles with others in our industry and beyond.

About the Principles for Responsible Banking

The Principles for Responsible Banking were developed by a core group of 30 Founding Banks through an innovative global partnership between banks and the UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). UNEP FI is the UN-private sector collaboration that includes membership of more than 250 finance institutions around the globe.