ING Group Sustainability Report 2013
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ING Group Sustainability Report 2013 Simpler, stronger, sustainable 1 Contents Contents in this report ABOUT THis REPORT 2 6 Improving environmental performance 60 I Our approach to sustainability reporting 3 6.1 Improving environmental performance: at a glance 61 II Performance data 4 6.2 Driving efficiency 62 III Q&A CEO 5 6.3 Sustainable procurement 64 IV Q&A Global Head of Sustainability 7 6.4 Monitoring and reporting environmental performance 66 OVERVIEW 8 6.5 Progress report 70 1.1 Company overview 9 7 Engaging our employees 71 2 Our strategic approach to sustainability 11 7.1 Engaging our employees: at a glance 72 2.1 Sustainability at ING 12 7.2 Being a responsible employer 73 2.2 What matters most to us: materiality 14 7.3 Building a professional and accountable culture 75 2.3 Stakeholder engagement 17 7.4 Promoting an inclusive and balanced culture 77 2.4 Our sustainability roadmap 22 7.5 Measuring our performance as an employer 79 DELIVERING ON OUR COMMITMENTS 23 7.6 Progress report 80 3 Our sustainability performance 24 8 Creating positive change in communities 84 3.1 Progress report 25 8.1 Creating positive change in communities: at a glance 86 3.2 External review of ING’s sustainability performance 27 8.2 Educating children 87 4 Enhancing customer centricity 28 8.3 Promoting financial empowerment 4.1 Enhancing customer centricity: at a glance 29 and entrepreneurship 89 4.2 Putting customers’ interest first 30 8.4 Support for local themes 91 4.3 Helping customers manage their financial future 32 8.5 Progress report 93 4.4 Making basic financial services accessible 34 9 Governance and compliance 96 4.5 Measuring customer satisfaction 36 APPEndiX 100 4.6 Progress report 37 10.1 Independent Assurance Report 101 5 Promoting responsible lending and investment practices 39 10.2 Principles for Sustainable Insurance 102 10.3 UN Global Compact 104 5.1 Promoting responsible lending and investment practices: at a glance 40 10.4 Glossary 106 5.2 Setting our standards 41 10.5 Details 108 5.3 Environmental and social risk in practice 43 5.4 Offering sustainable products and services at ING Bank 49 5.5 Responsible investment at NN Group 52 5.6 Sustainable assets allocated 57 5.7 Progress report 59 ING GROUP SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2013 2 About this report This is our 19th Sustainability Report and our fullest source of disclosure Contents in this section on our sustainability-related actions ABOUT THis REPORT 2 and performance. We use this I Our approach to sustainability reporting 3 II Performance data 4 opportunity to share our sustainability III Q&A CEO 5 highlights of the year and how we IV Q&A Global Head of Sustainability 7 plan to go forward. This content is substantiated with detailed data, case studies, performance and future commitments summaries and comments from a broad range of internal and external stakeholders. This report covers both our bank and insurance businesses. ING GROUP SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2013 3 I – Our approach to sustainability reporting This is ING’s 19th Sustainability Report. It includes summaries as well as How we defined content for this report detailed disclosure on our sustainability approach, actions and performance. The theme of this report, like the ING Group Annual Report, is ’Simpler, The performance updates are supported by data on key priority areas such stronger, sustainable’, which reflects our achievements as an organisation. as sustainable finance and investment, increasing financial capability of our customers, environmental performance of our operations, being a Balancing materiality and compliance responsible employer and community investment. The report represents an Sustainability is an ever-evolving domain where material issues change, opportunity to be transparent and to share the details of our performance. requiring us to adapt our reporting to meet the expectations of our stakeholders. The chapters of the report are consolidated on the basis of their relevance, covering topics that are material to our business and Sustainability Report operational performance in 2013. The performance data specifically addresses the needs of rating agencies, external analysts and benchmarks. 19th Definitions of the various terms and abbreviations used in this report can be found in the relevant paragraphs and in the glossary. Audiences for this report GRI 3.1 This report is intended to serve the information needs of the stakeholder Due to the large-scale organisational changes that stem from the separation groups that most affect and are affected by our business – customers, of our banking and insurance activities, we have decided to follow GRI 3.1 employees and investors. In particular sustainability rating agencies guidelines and the financial sector supplement this year, and are exploring and analysts who will use the content for an in-depth analysis of the possibility of producing a G4 compliant report in the next reporting our performance. cycle. We report at an A+ level on the GRI 3.1. ING GROUP SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2013 4 ii – Performance data Boundary and scope of reported data Data validation We define ’boundary’ as the range of entities over which we have The centralised data processing team at ING Group is assisted by an management control. In 2013, to prepare for the transition of the independent external agency (Royal HaskoningDHV) that helps to validate business into separate bank and insurance companies, we have already and process the large amount of data gathered from our operations de-consolidated data for these two business streams, and report accordingly. worldwide. In collaboration with Royal HaskoningDHV, we have reviewed and updated our reporting protocol document with the aim of further In this reporting cycle, we set new parameters for business units to be improving the quality of our sustainability data reporting in the coming years. included within the scope of environmental data reporting. Business units that are above 200 FTEs, over which we have management control or that contribute at least 5% to our total carbon emissions based on 2012 data, Assurance were asked to provide environmental data. For social indicators, business KPMG has provided limited assurance to this report. Please refer to the units that are over 100 FTEs, and over which we have management Independent Assurance Report on page 101 for their statement. control, have provided performance data for 2013. Looking forward Data-collection tool We address issues in this report that are identified as material to our We have updated the proprietary, online data-collection tool that we stakeholders through a materiality analysis, which is one of the key use to gather, track and validate data on sustainability. The tool provides requirements of GRI’s G4 guidelines, that we aspire to adhere to in greater transparency and ensures more consistent and accurate data the future. Our vision for next year’s report reflects our journey towards collation. It has also enabled us to disclose additional data in this report. more integrated reporting. In 2013 we sourced the HR data directly from the HR data analytics department. The financial data reported in this document has been fully sourced and aligned with ING Group’s Annual Report 2013. ING GROUP SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2013 5 III – Q&A CEO Ralph Hamers Chief Executive Officer of ING Group What do you see as ING’s role in society? I am proud of the level of transparency we aspire to, through this report, We believe that financial services are significant drivers for a healthy with regard to the sources of the funds entrusted to us and how we use economy as well as a stable society. Although we are a financial institution, them. In addition, our inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices our role goes beyond delivering monetary returns. We have an opportunity shows that our progress and performance are acknowledged by the to use our scale, reach and expertise to help society achieve long-term experts in this field. We also seek external direction and validation of our sustainable prosperity. As a bank, we serve society and play an important sustainability priorities by endorsing international standards such as the role in the real economy. We have a broad client base, from the largest UN Global Compact. retail chain to the corner bakery and the first-time home buyer. As an insurer, we help people manage and protect their assets and income How is sustainability playing a role through pensions, investments, insurance, savings and mortgages. in delivering long-term growth? The choices we make today can help shape the economies of the future Our focus on sustainability helps us to refine how we create long-term and provide stability to the communities in which we operate. This is value for our stakeholders. In addition, it gives us an informed steer on also a means for us to regain trust, which is the number one priority the short-, medium- and long-term risks and opportunities for all parties. for our company. We concentrate on the key issues that most affect our stakeholders Our customers are at the heart of everything that we do. What they want and us, but also those over which we have a direct influence, and for and what they expect determine the changes and improvements we make. which there is a sound business case. Sustainability is a way that helps us When they choose us as their financial partner, they expect us to help generate revenue, cut costs, attract talent and future-proof our business. them navigate to a secure financial future. Sustainability is a journey, with ups and downs along the way. As financial risk is conclusively interlinked with environmental and social risks, we It may sound contradictory at first, but although we are a customer-centric integrate these factors into our approach in order to make our business organisation, we do not automatically do what the customer wants.