ANZ among world leaders on sustainability

ANZ has been rated as one of the world’s most sustainable banks, and is the only Australian bank ranked inside the top ten of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

It’s reward for the significant effort from the bank to contribute toward a sustainable future for future generations, according to Mark Whelan, Group Executive – Institutional, ANZ.

“The push for a sustainable future is a responsibility shared across all industries and economies, and requires collaboration between all parties,” Whelan said.

“At ANZ, we aim to continue our sustainability commitment, while supporting our customers to also meet their own sustainability goals, as we transition to a net-zero carbon economy.”

The DJSI tracks the performance of the world's leading companies in terms of economic, environmental and social criteria.

This year ANZ jumped three points to seventh (from 10th) in the banking sector and received top scores in areas including climate strategy, social and environmental reporting and human rights.

ANZ CEO Shayne Elliott said the listing confirmed ANZ’s environmental, governance and social measurement, as well as its performance, was improving.

“The DJSI is used across financial markets as a research tool and we also use it when assessing new and existing corporate customers,” he said. 

“This year ANZ received top scores in areas including climate strategy, social and environmental reporting and human rights – a fantastic achievement which has strong links back to our purpose.”

According to the DJSI, many banks around the globe are simplifying their business models and focusing increasingly on the core principles of ethics and customer trust.

“To execute the business strategy, leading banks are using well-designed human capital schemes to promote appropriate skill sets and help improve talent attraction and retention, which is of utmost importance given the sector’s digital transition,” the DJSI said. Click here to access the report.

“In efforts to support the transition to more sustainable business models and adherence to regulatory developments on sustainable finance, banks are becoming increasingly proactive and transparent, enabling financial market participants to better identify sustainable activities and investments.”

Felicia Bellette is an ANZ Institutional contributor

You can read more about ANZ’s ESG performance in its 2020 ESG Supplement.