Transcript Microfinance Seminar Utrecht University

Why is CSR (Corporate Social
Responsibility) so important?
• The continuity (survival) of our Planet Earth is
in danger;
• As citizens, as well as in our private life as in
our functional role, we are responsible for the
continuity (survival) of ‘Mother Earth’.
1110071
Rabobank Groep
• We need another way of thinking and acting as
citizens (private individuals);
• The priority has to be avoiding causes of
problems in stead of fighting with the
consequences of our own behaviour/attitude.
For example: we are fighting with the
consequences of climate change in stead of
avoiding the causes (f.e. producing less CO2emission)
1110071
Rabobank Groep
What could be the role of the Financial
Sector in relation to CSR?
• The Financial Sector means: banks, insurance
companies, pension funds and asset managers;
• Developing new products and services for their
clients to contribute to CSR-behaviour;
• Partnering in covenants, alliences, partnerships
et cetera in achieving CSR-goals;
• Developing sectoral guidelines, conditions et
cetera for credit policies.
1110071
Rabobank Groep
What kind of products and services?
• Green financing;
• Sustainable/ethical asset management;
• Incurance polices;
• For the carbon market:
- trading in tradable emission rights;
- financing of/investing in bio-energy products.
1110071
Rabobank Groep
Is CSR real business and commercial
‘viable’?
YES!!
• Being frontrunner in stead of follower in
developing new markets by selling these new
products and services related to CSR means a
commercial advantage;
• If citizens as consumers are using their
‘market-power’ they can play an important role
in changing market positions of companies, of
course also within the financial sector.
1110071
Rabobank Groep
CSR is (also) ‘managing dilemma’s’!
• Long term goals versus those at short term;
• High financial returns versus ‘social’ returns;
• Ethical norms and standards versus ‘dealdriven business’.
1110071
Rabobank Groep
How do we organise (and execute) CSR within
Rabobank?
Corporate
Social Responsibility
Division
Staff
Green
Banking
• Green Management
• Rabo Green Bank
• Rabo Innovation Capital
Fund
1110071
Funds
Sustainable
Developments
• (Strategic) Sustainable
Developments
• Internal Environmental
Care
• Sustainable Asset
Management
• Climate Change
Rabobank
Foundation
(international)
• Secretariat
• Communications
• Control
Ethics and Issue
Management
Societal
Funds
• Rabobank
Foundation
(national)
• Project Fund
for member
issues
• Herman Wijffels
Fund
Rabobank Groep