Sir Bob Geldof to Address Sustainable Banking Awards Dinner
The FT Sustainable Banking Awards, organised in partnership with IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, were created to recognise banks and other financial institutions that have shown leadership and innovation in integrating social, environmental and corporate governance considerations into their operations.
The Awards have grown in popularity and this year the nominees were selected from among 165 entries from 117 institutions across 42 countries. Three categories - Achievement in Basic Needs Financing, Banking at the Bottom of the Pyramid, and Sustainable Investor of the Year - were open to non-banking financial institutions as well as banks.
The judging panel, which includes leading figures involved in sustainable finance and development, has agreed on a short-list of five institutions for each category of award - except Emerging Markets Bank of the Year, where three banks were nominated for each regional sub-category. The shortlisted companies are:
Sustainable Bank of the Year
· Deutsche Bank, Germany
· Grupo Santander Brasil
· Industrial Bank, China
· Standard Chartered, UK
· Triodos Bank, Netherlands
Sustainable Emerging Markets Bank of the Year
Africa/Middle East
· Access Bank, Nigeria
· Equity Bank, Kenya
· Nedbank, South Africa
Asia
· ACLEDA Bank, Cambodia
· Industrial Bank, China
· YES Bank, India
Eastern Europe
· AccessBank, Azerbaijan
· Center-Invest Bank, Russia
· Industrial Development Bank of Turkey (TSKB)
Latin America
· Banco do Brasil
· Banco Galicia, Argentina
· Itau Unibanco, Brazil
Achievement in Basic Needs Financing
· Acumen Fund, US
· MicroEnsure, UK
· ParaLife Group, Switzerland
· Trust Bank, Ghana
· Water Capital, Mexico
Banking at the Bottom of the Pyramid
· ABN AMRO India
· Bank of Kathmandu, Nepal
· Opportunity International, UK
· Root Capital, US
· Wizzit, South Africa
Sustainable Investor of the Year
· Actis, UK
· Calvert Foundation, US
· E+Co, US
· Global Environment Fund, US
· Pictet Asset Management, UK
The judging panel that selected the nominees and will choose the award winners includes leading figures involved in sustainable finance and development:
John Willman, Former UK Business Editor, Financial Times (co-chair)
Rachel Kyte, Vice President, Business Advisory Services, IFC (co-chair)
David Harris, Manager, Responsible Investment, FTSE Group
Richard Laing, Chief Executive, CDC Group Ltd
Elizabeth Littlefield, CEO, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP)
Herman Mulder, international Sustainable Development Advisor
Tessa Tennant, Co-founder, Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia (ASrIA)
Leading consultancy Sustainable Finance Ltd is technical advisor for the programme.
The winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner in London on 4 June 2009. Lionel Barber, Editor of the FT, will host the evening and the guest speaker will be Sir Bob Geldof, Humanitarian, Pop Star, Broadcaster and Businessman.
The Dinner will take place after 2009 FT Sustainable Banking Conference, the major annual summit on sustainable banking and finance that will gather some of the worlds most renowned visionaries, strategists and financial decision-makers to discuss the impact of the financial crisis, and particularly whether the historic changes in the financial sector will drive banks to meet stakeholders' expectations of more open, transparent businesses that demonstrably deliver value to society.
