Hellenic: keeping the focus on sustainable development

Headlined ‘The day after is already here’, the 15th Conference on Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility that took place featured Hellenic Bank, which remains committed to its goal of leading the transition to the Green Economy.

Nicolas Hadjinicolaou, head of Strategy & ESG at Hellenic Bank, said in his presentation that the objective of the new ESG policy is to benefit the Bank’s stakeholders – customers, staff, investors and the community at large. As such, the new ESG strategy stands on four pillars: energy efficiency and going carbon neutral, the workforce of the future, resilience and performance, and a sustainable ecosystem.

The overriding goal is to minimise the Bank’s footprint on the environment, in line with the Paris Accords. This concerns carbon emissions from the Bank’s operations, but mostly from its lending and investments. To achieve that, stressed Hellenic’s Strategy & ESG chief, we need to encourage customers to make certain lifestyle choices and try to render their businesses sustainable. Hellenic Bank will help them transition to the Green Economy by providing and channelling the financing needed to invest in sustainable business models.

Andreas Papadopoulos, head of Commercial Banking at Hellenic Bank, participated in the roundtable discussion on the subject of Sustainable Development and Investments. He reiterated the focus being placed on supporting and encouraging green initiatives and green businesses. Hellenic has set out certain criteria for assessing social and environmental risks when approving new loans, as it aims to become a leader in financing projects promoting the transition to the Green Economy.

Hellenic Bank offers bespoke products and integrated services, along with advice and incentives to its customers, whom it encourages to improve their performance in relation to the environment.