Unicaja Banco signs the international Statement from Business Leaders for a Renewed Gobal Cooperation, fostered by the UN Global Compact

Unicaja Banco has signed the ‘Statement from Business Leaders for a Renewed Global Cooperation’, fostered by the United Nations Global Compact, on the 75^th anniversary of the UN and 20^th of the Global Compact, and which aims to unite businesses in favour of a global cooperation based on human rights and sustainable development, as well as on ethical leadership and good governance. The statement also supports the SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) 16: peace, justice and strong institutions.

The bank joined the UN Global Compact in 2013, and now it signs on to this statement, within the framework of its sustainability and CSR policy, and it commits to promote inclusive strategies and based on the values of the 2030 Agenda.

The ‘Statement from business leaders for renewed global cooperation’ was presented to the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, on Monday 21 September, at the UN Private Sector Forum, and it has been signed by business leaders from more than 100 countries, including Unicaja Banco.

The UN Global Compact calls companies around the world to support inclusive multilateralism and to unite stakeholders everywhere to tackle the world’s greatest challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects.

Furthermore, the statement calls governments to protect human rights, create an enabling environment to serve the interests of people and planet and enhance multilateralism and global governance to build resilience and achieve the SDGs.

The importance of sustainability and CSR for Unicaja Banco

Unicaja Banco integrates the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria in the core of its business strategy, management tools, sale of financial products and services and in the development of its action plans.

In that sense, Unicaja Banco has established a set of commitments included in an ‘Action Plan on Sustainable Finance’, recently approved by the Board of Directors.

The bank joined the UN Global Compact in 2013, and the 2030 Agenda, in 2017. Furthermore, Unicaja Banco, on the occasion of the COP25 on climate change held in Madrid, signed, along with more than twenty Spanish financial institutions, a collective agreement on climate change, promoted by the Spanish Banking Association (AEB, Asociación de la Banca Española) and by CECA, under which banks committed to reduce the carbon footprint in its credit portfolios, in a way that is measurable under internationally approved criteria, and in line with the targets set at the Paris Agreement.

In addition to other initiatives, the bank also participates in the International Training Center for Authorities and Leaders (Cifal) in Malaga, a project of UN’s UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research).