Recommended reading
The dos and don’ts of sustainable banking: a BankTrack manual
A manual for sustainable banking
Authors:
J.W. van Gelder
Publisher:
BankTrack, 2006
Aimed at the banking community, this manual provides an overview of actions these institutions can take to become more sustainable. Its starting point is the Collevecchio Declaration. This declaration was launched in January 2003 and endorsed by over 200 civil society organisations. It outlines the unique role and responsibility the financial sector has in advancing sustainability and continues to be civil society’s benchmark of measuring sustainability in the banking sector.
Following the six commitments framed in the Collevecchio Declaration, this manual outlines what banks should do to make their operations more sustainable. The six commitments are: responsibility, accountability, transparency, sustainable markets and governance, and ‘do no harm’. Each section provides practical steps forward, paying attention to both content and implementation aspects. These steps apply to all activities undertaken by banks, whether they be retail banking, commercial banking, investment banking or asset management.
Alongside what is to be done, there is also guidance on what to avoid, in the form of boxes on the “Do's and dont's of sustainable banking”.
