Sustainability Index names SEB the first bank to enter the Platinum category

Having assessed and determined the corporate responsibility practices of Latvian enterprises, the Sustainability Index has ranked SEB banka in the Platinum category for the first time. SEB is the first and only bank to have received the highest Sustainability Index assessment.

Since 2009, when SEB banka took part in the “Sustainability Index” for the first time, the need to assess the sustainability of its activity and corporate responsibility level has become an integral hygiene factor of the bank's activity, striving to achieve world class service level in the business strategy, formation of business relations, working environment, the environment, and providing sustainable support in projects of public significance.

“Last year, we were three points short of achieving the highest rating. It was a good incentive to strive to reduce this difference. During the year, we had a special focus on several areas, which had a successful outcome. Implementing the new SEB internet bank, we considered customer needs as well as the feedback provided by various customer segments in focus groups. In the field of the environment, we have begun to more closely and accurately follow the consumption of non-renewable natural resources in the bank’s daily operations. In addition, following a long and careful certification audit, energy management systems of SEB banka and SEB AB Riga have been certified as conforming to the international standard ISO 50001:2012. This supports that the companies have made an effort to develop, maintain, and continuously improve the energy management system,” says Ieva Tetere, Chairwoman of the management board of SEB banka.

Assessing the bank's activity against the Sustainability Index criteria, the jury ranked SEB banka in the Platinum category for the first time. In addition, SEB is the only bank that has received a rating this high.

Some facts about the results of SEB bank's sustainable and socially responsible activity:

• The reduced amount of waste is equivalent to the weight of 6 elephants
• The reduction of energy consumption is equivalent to the volume produced by one wind turbine in a year
• Water savings exceeded the volume equal to 20 full bathtubs
• Mileage reduction is equivalent to 40 round-trips from Riga to Tallinn
• Reduction of CO2 emissions is equivalent to 180 full fuel tanks.

“Sustainability index” assesses companies based on five areas indicating a sustainable activity: sustainability of the business strategy, working environment, community investing, openness and transparency of the activity, being environmentally friendly.