Our Approach
A decade of sustainability Ultimately, this resulted in a sharper focus on the long-term
viability of the financial sector, as well as on the professional
A series of events over the past 10 years have tested the global conduct of banks and their capacity to be good corporate citizens.
economy, challenging countries and financial institutions to
foster viable, smart and inclusive growth. In the midst of this unprecedented socioeconomic environment,
UniCredit continued to invest in improving its service model and
The early 2000s were marked by heightened attention to marshaled its strengths to better serve its stakeholders.
sustainability issues. The European Commission presented
a framework to illustrate the direct relationship between We began by strengthening our commitment to transparency.
sustainability and corporate competitiveness1, while specific UniCredit was among the first banks to publish a sustainability
reporting guidelines, such as the Global Reporting Initiative report that followed GRI standards. Then we endorsed principles
(GRI), and specialized indexes emerged as drivers of corporate set by supranational organizations, including the United Nations
decision-making and transparency. (the UN Global Compact, UNEP-FI and UN-PRI), the International
Finance Corporation (the Equator Principles) and we adopted the
The end of the decade was characterized by the subprime London Benchmarking Group (LBG) model. These organizations
mortgage crisis and the default of several banks, which and standards encourage companies to act responsibly and to
triggered an unprecedented global economic downturn. The report clearly on their environmental, social and governance (ESG)
ensuing European sovereign debt crisis, combined with the performance. Our Group’s sustainability report has achieved the
erosion of the financial sector’s reputation, diminished public highest GRI application level, and we continue to be included in
confidence in the ability of banks to support the real economy. the Dow Jones Sustainability World and FTSE4Good indexes – all of
which confirms our dedication to providing comprehensive reporting
1. Green Paper Promoting a European Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility, on our overall performance2.
COM (2001) 366, July 2001 and A Renewed EU Strategy 2011-14 For Corporate Social
Responsibility, COM (2011) 681, October 2011. 2. Refer to the Informing Investors chapter for more information.
Parent Company awarded ISO 14001 environmental
certification and registration pursuant to EMAS
Regulation No. 761/2001, the most important form
of recognition for environmental management in the Launch of Gift Matching Program to involve
European Union employees in non-profit initiatives
2002 Co-founding of the Equator Principles bank
initiative by HVB (now UniCredit Bank AG)
Launch of Customer Satisfaction Program
Establishment of UniCredit Foundation
(formerly Unidea)
First Sustainability Report following
GRI standards
Inclusion in FTSE4Good Index Series
2003
2001 Endorsement of the principles of the
United Nations Global Compact
Co-founding of the UNEP-FI Task
Force for Central and Eastern Europe
by HVB (now UniCredit Bank AG)
2004
First Social and Environmental Report Creation of the Ombudsman
Inclusion in Dow Jones Sustainability World Index Network to implement the
Adoption of Environmental Policy, signed by the Restorative Justice System,
CEO (renewed in 2007) which mediates dialogue
between parties in conflict
Creation of Global Environmental & Ethical
Fund by Pioneer Investments, UniCredit’s asset
management group
Adoption of the Integrity Charter as 2006
2000
the foundation of UniCredit’s identity
and values
Launch of the Restorative Justice System
to promote individual responsibility and
voluntary conflict resolution between
parties
2005
12 2012 Sustainability Report · UniCredit