Sustainability strategy

Sustainability is a supporting pillar of our corporate strategy and provides significant support for the achievement of our long-term goals. In 2020, we developed our sustainability strategy, which is rooted in our Group-wide strategy for 2026.

 

Engaging our stakeholders

In setting our priorities, we sought the assistance of our stakeholders, including employees, experts, clients and shareholders. In the course of these discussions, we identified topics that are relevant for our business activities and services and which can be seen in the following overview.

Key issues such as “Combating corruption and bribery”, “fair business practices and integrity” and “corporate ­governance” are implemented in the daily routines of our business. VP Bank has already implemented extensive ­programmes in these areas and will continue to monitor and update them as required.

The findings from the discussions with our stakeholders formed the basis for the formulation of our strategic goals as well as the development of the sustainability plan with which we are seeking to attain them.

Our claim

We want to consolidate our business while making a positive contribution to the environment and society, which is why we systematically incorporate the topic of sustain­ability into the normal course of our business. With the strategic initiative “Investing for change”, we offer our ­clients transparency as well as access to investment opportunities relating to all aspects of the topic of sustainability, allowing them to seize the opportunities that are right for them. 

 

Sustainability plan 2026

The sustainability plan outlines what we want to achieve in the coming years – with a focus on the areas that are relevant to our business.

In our business activities

In our product offering
(Investing for Change)

Integrate sustainability into our ­business processes

Integrate ESG into our investment process

Achieve CO2 -neutral operations

Create a net positive impact through our offering

Improve gender diversity in our workforce

Grow Assets under Management in sustainable investment solutions

Achieve “AA“ ESG Rating from MSCI

 

Investing for change

The centrepiece here is the investment business. We launched our “Investing for change” initiative in 2020 in order to actively create change through sustainable investing for the benefit of our stakeholders. At an early stage, we identify future issues and undertakings that make a significant contribution to improvements on the social and environmental front. On this basis, we assist our clients in positioning their portfolios in a more sustainable manner in accordance with their preferences. Sustainability criteria according to the generally recognised environmental, social and governance (ESG) grid complement the financial decision-making criteria. We launched two solutions according to this concept in 2020: our risk-optimised ESG equity funds and the “Green City” basket.


We also integrate sustainability criteria into our investment and advisory processes on a comprehensive basis. Here we look to integrate rather than exclude, allowing us to identify long-term risks and opportunities. We not only offer financial products that comply with our sustainability philosophy, but also take these criteria into account consistently in asset management and when preparing investment proposals for our advisory clients. 

 

VP Bank Sustainability Score

We developed the VP Bank Sustainability Score to take into account important dimensions such as minimum requirements for eligible investments and portfolio optimisation. Our methodology makes it possible to make comparisons between a variety of different asset classes and financial products and thus get an overview of the overall sustain­ability performance on the portfolio level. You can find a description of the methodology on our website at www.vpbank.com/sustainability.

Training on the topic of sustainability

Our employees are one of the most important factors underpinning the success of our sustainability plan. We developed a comprehensive training programme for our client advisors and investment professionals to ensure that our colleagues understand the importance of sustainability for VP Bank and our approach to sustainable investing.

 

Sustainability Board

VP Bank’s former CSR Board was renamed the Sustainability Board in 2020. Its mission is to support the implementation of the sustainability plan throughout the Bank and ensure consistency. The members of this body represent the Bank’s value chain and help ensure proper positioning and awareness within the Bank. The Group Chief Investment Officer serves as Chair of the Sustainability Board. 

 

Reporting on sustainability

Additional details regarding our sustainability activities can be found in a separate VP Bank sustainability report. 

 

Outlook

In future, we will focus on achieving targets according to our sustainability plan and on complying with regulatory requirements according to the EU action plan on sustainable finance. We will be focusing on further development of training programmes in particular and on working with partners and organisations in the spirit of progress towards a sustainable future.