Communication on Progress

Communication on Progress

Participant
Published
  • 29-Mar-2016
Time period
  • March 2015  –  March 2016
Format
  • Stand alone document – Basic COP Template
Differentiation Level
  • This COP qualifies for the Global Compact Active level
Self-assessment
  • Includes a CEO statement of continued support for the UN Global Compact and its ten principles
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Human Rights
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Labour
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Environment
  • Description of actions or relevant policies related to Anti-Corruption
  • Includes a measurement of outcomes
 
  • Statement of continued support by the Chief Executive Officer

  • Statement of the company's chief executive (CEO or equivalent) expressing continued support for the Global Compact and renewing the company's ongoing commitment to the initiative and its principles.

  • March 29th, 2016

    H.E. Ban Ki-moon
    Secretary-General
    United Nations
    New York, NY 10017
    USA

    Dear Mr. Secretary-General,

    Dear Mr. Secretary-General,

    I am pleased to confirm that SpareBank 1 SR-Bank reaffirms its support of the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact in the areas of Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption. In this our first annual Communication on Progress, we describe our actions to integrate the Global Compact and its principles into our business strategy, culture and daily operations.

    We are also committed to share this information with our stakeholders using our primary channels of communication, which is our website and our annual report.

    Yours sincerely,

    Arne Austreid
    Chief Executive Officer
    SpareBank 1 SR-Bank

Human Rights
  • Assessment, policy and goals

  • Description of the relevance of human rights for the company (i.e. human rights risk-assessment). Description of policies, public commitments and company goals on Human Rights.

  • SpareBank 1 SR-Bank has clear guidelines intended to prevent violations of human rights.

    Our main target: Further develop routines to safeguard human rights in all of the Group’s operations.

    Comment:
    Our CSR policy will be revised and made more clear within early autum of 2016.

  • Implementation

  • Description of concrete actions to implement Human Rights policies, address Human Rights risks and respond to Human Rights violations.

  • Awareness raising or training of emloyees on Human Rights

  • Measurement of outcomes

  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates performance.

  • Periodic reviw of results by senior management

Labour
  • Assessment, policy and goals

  • Description of the relevance of labour rights for the company (i.e. labour rights-related risks and opportunities). Description of written policies, public commitments and company goals on labour rights.

  • Employees and the organisation
    SpareBank 1 SR-Bank aims to be an attractive and inclusive place to work for employees in all age groups and phases of their life. The SpareBank 1 SR-Bank Group tries to ensure that all employees are satisfied with the balance between work, home and leisure. At the same time, a number of different measures have been implemented to motivate employees to stay healthy, both by developing a good working environment and by encouraging them to exercise. We believe that employees whose needs are catered for will perform better, which benefits both them and the group.

    The group had 1,249 employees as of 31 December

  • Implementation

  • Description of concrete actions taken by the company to implement labour policies, address labour risks and respond to labour violations.

  • Ethics committee
    Code of conduct
    Personnel handbook with a heavy focus on values and attitudes
    Training

  • Measurement of outcomes

  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates performance.

  • Periodic review of results by senior management

Environment
  • Assessment, policy and goals

  • Description of the relevance of environmental protection for the company (i.e. environmental risks and opportunities). Description of policies, public commitments and company goals on environmental protection.

  • Environment
    As a responsible financial group, we are taking a proactive approach to climate challenges, including by setting criteria for environmental prevention measures in our own organisation. The group has a specific environmental strategy and guidelines, which are reviewed annually.

    The group regularly introduces measures that are intended to help reduce the consumption of electricity, paper and other resources, as well as ensure that resource-demanding travel is limited. A great deal of attention is also paid to managing technological waste and purchasing environmentally friendly solutions. Overall, the group is doing good work to ensure it buys the right technological equipment based on specific assessment criteria for energy and environmental requirements.

    All technological equipment is treated as special waste, which ensures the equipment is properly dealt with from an environmental perspective. The group returned 2.2 tons of technological waste in 2015, a decrease of 0.1 ton compared with 2014.

    An increase in paper consumption of 0.7 tons was registered in 2015 compared with 2014. One of the reasons for this was the increase in the number of written notices about changes to customers' lending terms and conditions.

    The employees in the SpareBank 1 SR-Bank Group took 3,698 flights during 2015, compared with 3,425 flights in 2014. The increase is primarily attributable to increased employee travel between the Bergen region, one of our growth areas, and the increased use of resources for projects under the auspices of the SpareBank 1-alliance in Oslo.

    The use of video conferences, phone conferences and digital tools for interacting and information sharing is one important means of keeping the group's travel activity at a moderately low level. The group had 25 videoconference rooms in 2015, the same number as in 2014.

    A number of new steps were taken in 2015 to create an organisation that takes even more account of global environmental concerns that in the future society will require of us as a sustainable and future-oriented organisation.

    Plans for building a new head office for the group were drawn up in 2015. The planned solution heavily focuses on environmental factors. The planned building could become the country's first commercial property, of a certain size, based on a wood load-bearing structure. The proposed materials are intended to produce a better working environment, both physical and psychological. The aim is for the planned new building to achieve BREEAM-NOR certification with a quality level of 'Excellent'.

  • Implementation

  • Description of concrete actions to implement environmental policies, address environmental risks and respond to environmental incidents.

  • 1. Complete the construction of a new head office that satisfies the BREEAM-NOR environmental standard and achieves the
    quality level of 'Excellent'.
    2. Reduce the total consumption of paper.
    3. Reduce the total energy consumption in the group's various offices.
    4. Reduce the number of flight and increase the use of videoconferencing.

  • Measurement of outcomes

  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates environmental performance.

  • Periodic review of results by senior management

Anti-Corruption
  • Assessment, policy and goals

  • Description of the relevance of anti-corruption for the company (i.e. anti-corruption risk-assessment). Description of policies, public commitments and company goals on anti-corruption.

  • Ethics and anti-corruption
    The group's code of conduct is meant to help improve awareness of and compliance with the high ethical standards required of all employees. The code of conduct is intended to contribute to, among other things, fighting corruption, extortion, bribery, whitewashing, fraud, terrorism funding and criminal activity funding. In 2015, SpareBank 1 SR-Bank focused heavily on training and raising awareness in relation to the most important ethical risk areas through general meetings for most employees, through digital ethical role playing, the bank's mandatory adviser programme, the training programme for new managers, and as a key part of the training programme for all new employees.

    The personnel handbook describes how employees can report if they learn about situations that contravene the applicable regulations, material breaches of internal rules, or other materially unacceptable situations. Whistle-blowers are able to report anonymously, in writing or verbally. 1 report was registered in 2015.

  • Implementation

  • Description of concrete actions to implement anti-corruption policies, address anti-corruption risks and respond to incidents.

  • Awareness raising or training of employees about the company's policies regarding anti-corruption and extortion

  • Measurement of outcomes

  • Description of how the company monitors and evaluates anti-corruption performance.

  • Internal audits to ensure consistency with anti-corruption commitment, including periodic review by senior management