HSBC Bank (Taiwan) Ltd (滙豐台灣商銀) has ranked first among the foreign banks at CommonWealth Magazine’s Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility Awards this year, given its outstanding performance in corporate commitment, social participation and environmental protection, the bank said.
HSBC has been in the top four in the foreign enterprise group for 12 years since 2011 and jumped to the top position this year. This indicates the bank’s pivotal role among foreign enterprises in Taiwan in fulfilling its corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitment.
The bank’s outstanding performance in addressing environmental, social and employee matters was key to winning this year’s top award, the magazine said.
Photo courtesy of HSBC Bank (Taiwan) Ltd
In particular, HSBC’s long-term environmental investment shows that it is committed to local communities, and it had spent NT$160 million (US$5.18 million) in helping preserve Taipei’s Guandu Nature Park (關渡自然公園) as of the end of last year, it added.
“CommonWealth Magazine’s Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility Awards are the most authoritative and competitive CSR awards in Taiwan. HSBC is honored to receive the award this year, and we are very pleased that our long-term efforts in the natural environment have been recognized by the judges and the public,” HSBC Taiwan CEO Adam Chen (陳志堅) said.
“Behind this honor is HSBC’s steady efforts and persistence in actively fulfilling its corporate social responsibility,” Chen said. “One of the important core values of the company is to create a high-quality working environment for employees, and from different aspects — including skills training, diverse career development plans, a transparent global transfer system and work-life balance, among others — to create a flexible and positive working atmosphere for colleagues. So, employee recognition of the company values has grown steadily year by year.”
“HSBC also provides volunteer programs to encourage employees to care for society, and HSBC employees’ and their families’ volunteer work on environmental and social care projects is a key force for us to fulfill our social responsibilities. Looking forward, HSBC will continue to implement the concept of long-term sustainable development in all aspects of corporate management and business development, and become a benchmark enterprise in fulfilling social responsibilities in Taiwan,” Chen said.
HSBC said it has been a leader in encouraging employees to participate in ecological conservation, and to make active contributions to environmental protection and local communities. The bank’s volunteers have visited Taipei’s Guandu Nature Park regularly over the past 20 years to help restore wetland plants and maintain its environment, the bank said.
Volunteer efforts have made the park home to nearly 950 species of creatures, providing a healthy environment for wetland wildlife and acting as one of the lungs of the greater Taipei area, it said.
Such activities are important to ecological conservation and environmental education, it added.
Facing the risks brought by climate change, HSBC has responded with environmental protection activities such as Earth Hour, World Environment Day and Climate Action Day. The bank also provides tips for energy conservation and carbon reduction, and works with customers to invest in green energy projects toward the goal of net-zero carbon emissions, it said.
HSBC also promotes cultural diversity and inclusiveness, focusing on gender equality and empowering minorities, the bank said.
Of HSBC Taiwan’s middle and senior management, more than 60 percent are women, higher than HSBC’s global average, it said.
HSBC supports diversity by extending benefits to same-sex couples and adoptive families, and has done so since long before the implementation of Taiwan’s same-sex marriage law. The bank has created a friendly work environment and culture through internal sharing and training. HSBC also attends the Taiwan LGBT Pride parade every year, it said.
HSBC responds to social issues by cooperating with charity groups, and strives to eliminate prejudice and stereotypes against women and ethnic groups. HSBC has also launched the Future Skills Training Program to cultivate the abilities of rural young people in areas such as financial management and technology, it added.
In response to global uncertainties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, HSBC has incorporated sustainable performance into one of the bank’s overall operational goals, and has established a supervisory conference to draft a blueprint for environmental and social development, the bank said.
HSBC managers and senior executives regularly track ESG trends, strategies and goals, and make continuous improvements in energy conservation, carbon reduction, resource conservation, sustainable finance and employees’ ESG awareness, it said.
HSBC also pays attention to green industry trends and voluntarily signed the Equator Principles to support sustainable finance. The bank also provides renewable energy financial services such as solar power plant financing and offshore wind power project financing.
It also offers corporate and personal services in green financial products. The bank has also assisted in the development of diversified financial products such as green bonds, green deposits, green guarantees, sustainability-linked loans, green mortgages and ESG funds, enabling the bank to achieve further sustainable development goals.
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