Westpac ranked the world’s most sustainable bank

Westpac ranked the world’s most sustainable bank for a 10th time

Westpac Group has retained its position as the most sustainable bank globally in the 2017 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) Review published today.

This marks the fourth year in a row and 10th time that Westpac has achieved the global banking sector leadership position, and the 16th year in a row that Westpac has been recognised as a global banking leader.

Westpac NZ chief executive David McLean says the accolade recognises the strong culture around sustainability issues that permeates every aspect of the Westpac business.

“Some people think sustainability is purely about environmental initiatives, but it’s also about addressing social and economic issues.

“So, while we’re doing things like reducing our carbon footprint and increasing lending to clean technology businesses, we’re also focused on improving New Zealanders’ lives through initiatives like our Managing your Money community workshops.

“Just last night, we hosted the fifth annual Women of Influence Awards with Fairfax Media as a way of promoting the achievements of leading women.

“Similarly, we also champion diversity within the bank and now have more than half of our leadership roles held by women.”

This year, Westpac achieved a DJSI score of 94%. In assessing Westpac's performance, S&P Dow Jones Indices and RobecoSAM rated Westpac's performance strongest in the following areas: corporate citizenship, business risks and opportunities, environmental and social reporting, climate strategy, anti-crime policy, materiality and labour practices.

The DJSI RobecoSAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment is the most widely accepted global evaluation of how companies manage and perform across social, economic and environmental dimensions and has become the reference point in sustainability investing.

It assesses business management practices such as corporate governance, risk management, customer relations, human resources, corporate community investment, climate change mitigation and environmental performance.

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