BNP Paribas Group has today joined nearly 200 forward-thinking companies as the newest member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
BNP Paribas Group, a leading bank in Europe with an international reach, employs more than 196,000 people around the world and operates in 73 countries and markets. By the end of 2017, the bank had already dedicated €155 billion to the energy transition and to the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
As a member of the WBCSD’s network of forward-thinking businesses across a variety of sectors, BNP Paribas aims to reinforce its commitment in sustainable finance.
Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, CEO of BNP Paribas Group stated: “As a bank, we have a central role in the economy and we strive to accompany all actors - individuals, companies, investors – to help them implement sustainable projects. We also have a role to play in joining with these actors to form new coalitions that enable them to have a positive impact on society. In our opinion, WBCSD is the right place to engage dialogue with companies that want to evolve their business model to better integrate environmental and social issues. We are particularly interested in its work in relation to management, reporting and measuring of sustainable development and are prepared to contribute our expertise in the financial markets to benefit all members.”
WBCSD President and CEO Peter Bakker said: “WBCSD is pleased to welcome BNP Paribas Group as our newest member. Financial services will play a pivotal role in the transformation of systems around the world, and BNP Paribas’ four-pillar approach around people, the community, the economy and environment demonstrates exactly the broad and integrated approach that is necessary. We are eager to begin working collaboratively with BNP Paribas on the important role of financial services that accelerate sustainable growth.”
About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas is a leading bank in Europe with an international reach. It has a presence in 73 countries, with more than 196,000 employees, including around 149,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main activities: Domestic Markets and International Financial Services (whose retail-banking networks and financial services are covered by Retail Banking & Services) and Corporate & Institutional Banking, which serves two client franchises: corporate clients and institutional investors. The Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, the Group has four domestic markets (Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg) and BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the European leader in consumer lending. BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated retail-banking model in Mediterranean countries, in Turkey, in Eastern Europe and a large network in the western part of the United States. In its Corporate & Institutional Banking and International Financial Services activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific.
