UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group takes the principles of sustainable banking very seriously. As the Ukrainian subsidiary of the international banking group BNP Paribas, UKRSIBBANK has tailored the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy for the Ukrainian environment. And this approach to contemporary banking is all the more relevant now, during the coronavirus crisis, as UKRSIBBANK has been applying key CSR commitments to helping alleviate the Covid-19 pressures on the economy, healthcare system and society, and preparing to rebuild the post-pandemic world.
“The swift reaction of our team to the Covid-19 crisis was remarkable,” UKRSIBBANK CEO & Country Director Laurent Dupuch says. “We were able to keep the bank open from the start while mobilizing to protect our customers and our staff. This was absolutely critical.”
“It’s a mindset”
During his nearly thirty-year career at BNP Paribas, Laurent Dupuch has worked around the world, but he only took up his Ukraine post at the onset of the pandemic in March. “It was a sort of baptism by fire, but what struck me right away was just how important banks were in the day to day life of people,” he says. “And so not only did we have to keep the banking system running, but also continue our modernization plans and keep to our sustainable banking goals.”For Laurent Dupuch, sustainable banking is a mindset to ensure that daily decisions are made with CSR goals in mind, not only within the bank, but also among clients. “To put it simply, we need to be totally responsible. We need to be sure that each and every business we deal with is sustainable,” he explains. “Our strategy is to have CSR goals, and we translate that into sustainable banking, to have a positive impact in our day to day actions. This is something I ask myself every morning.” Laurent Dupuch admits that he has had to turn down deals because he was not convinced that they were sustainable.
Laurent Dupuch sees three components as integral to successful CSR development. One is to develop “positive impact deals” with customers. A second is to ensure that the company will have a “positive local footprint”, such as reducing CO2 emissions via more environmentally friendly technology or lower consumption. The third is to “increase awareness”, to explain and ensure that CSR heads everyone’s agenda. “When we agree to do something, we must be sure that CSR is addressed in a relevant way and in the long term has a positive impact,” the CEO says.
Fostering potential
In addition to ensuring that staff and customers focus on CSR principles, UKRSIBBANK has launched several initiatives to address some of the challenges Ukrainian society faces. The Women in Business program has been particularly successful, with five online seminars planned for this year alone. “I am very proud of this project, which UKRSIBBANK developed,” Laurent Dupuch says. “This is very important because we see in Ukraine that the more active women are in the economy, the better it will be. They’re a source for accelerating sustainable growth. This program is a concrete way to help women-entrepreneurs and women-managers to play an increasing role in the economy.”And while the proportion of Women in business and the economy stands at around 25% in Ukraine, UKRSIBBANK can boast that roughly three-quarters of its staff are women, including 60% in management positions.
Another one of UKRSIBBANK’s long-term CSR projects is a charity for Downs Syndrome. “We believe it’s vital to help those people take their rightful place in society, as well as to change unfounded perceptions of them,” Laurent Dupuch says, noting that the coronavirus pandemic will not affect this project going forward.
Ready for the recovery
A prime example of UKRSIBBANK’s ability to quickly adapt its CSR strategy to local conditions and make a positive impact is its response to the Covid-19 crisis. When the pandemic reached Ukraine, the bank leapt into action by forging relationships with various associations to aid the over-burdened healthcare system. “We were able to help more than 70 hospitals around the country by providing them with the equipment necessary to fight this crisis,” Laurent Dupuch explains. “We wanted to focus on those on the front line of defence, medical personnel, so that they can do their very important job with more gear and less stress.”Laurent Dupuch is confident that the country can swiftly return to steady growth once the pandemic subsides, and so he has ensured that UKRSIBBANK is fully prepared for when that happens. “After the first lockdown, the economy recovered quickly, so we need to be ready to service our clients once this is all over, because our role, our sustainable role – and this is really CSR – is to be fit and ready, to be the financing partner of our clients for them to develop their business. And we will be ready.”
