48
Ecological Product Responsibility
RBI cares about the environment. We therefore always consider the associated environmental
consequences of the products and services we offer. In particular, financing of or participation in
transactions or projects which put the environment at risk of lasting effect are not in accordance
with our business policy. Our goal is to reduce the negative impacts of our business activities on
the environment to the minimum and to lower CO2 emissions. RBI is committed to complying with all applicable
environmental regulations in each country within its business operations and service sectors. It acts in an
environmentally-conscious manner and continually strives to improve its own environmental balance as well
as the environmental balance attributable to its product and services portfolio.
When making decisions, every employee must consider the potential risks posed by a transaction or project
that could lead to negative impacts on the environment. The risks range from endangering the environment to
the associated risk for the financing business as well as the resulting damage to the group’s reputation. In
addition, when auditing financing and projects it must always be ensured that the company being financed
is using the funds in a way that ensures compliance with the respective regional and EU environmental
legislation as well as with the international agreements on protecting the environment.
Carbon policy
RBI is committed to promoting environmentally friendly technologies. The declared fight against
climate change, based on the 2015 Paris climate agreement, has given impetus to our ambitions
in this area. We see this as a chance for new business fields, such as in the areas of renewable
energy, electric mobility, energy efficiency and resource management. The climate agreement could drive
investments in these areas and provide new impetus for innovation. We have therefore established restrictions
on our own practices that apply across the entire RBI. For example, we avoid financing new thermal coal mining
projects and new business relationships with customers in the thermal coal mining sector or companies where
more than 50 percent of the revenue is generated from thermal coal trading. Coal power plants are only
financially invested in on a selective basis and only if the project offers discernible positive environmental impacts.
We are striving to significantly reduce our involvement with thermal coal. Instead, we prioritize financing projects
associated with renewable energy.
Raiffeisen Bank International | Sustainability Report 2017