BayernLB Group signs UN Global Compact, giving visibility to its longstanding commitment to protecting human rights

BayernLB and its Group subsidiaries Deutsche Kreditbank AG (DKB), BayernInvest Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH and Real I.S. AG support the UN “Global Compact” initiative for corporate responsibility and its principles with regard to human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption. By signing the voluntary commitment in September 2021, the BayernLB Group makes a visible commitment to respecting and promoting basic human rights, to fair working conditions, to fighting corruption and to promoting sustainable development. “I’m delighted that by joining the UN Global Compact, we as a Group can highlight the commitment with which we have fought for human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and combating corruption over the course of many years. The principles of the Global Compact serve as an important guide for our day-to-day activities. They are rigorously supported by BayernLB and its Group subsidiaries and put into practice wherever they do business,” explained Stephan Winkelmeier, CEO of BayernLB.

For several years now, BayernLB has been a signatory of the UK Modern Slavery Act, which obliges companies to incorporate more transparency into the supply chain.

The Bank expects suppliers and external service providers that want to do business with BayernLB to comply with recognised environmental and social standards, including the core labour standards of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). To ensure this, partners pledge to respect BayernLB’s sustainability agreement.

In addition, BayernLB has set up an ESG Assessment system. This enables sustainability risks and the positive impact of financing on the achievement of sustainability and especially climate goals in the portfolio to be identified in more detail. It also takes into account the requirements of the EU Taxonomy Regulation. BayernLB expects the ESG Assessment to provide information for managing and developing the portfolio and dynamically developing sustainable capital market business.

This squares with the climate change mitigation goals of the German federal government, the EU and the goals of the Free State of Bavaria, and is a clear statement that BayernLB stands staunchly behind the Paris Agreement. With this, the Bank also expressly supports the idea of a social taxonomy, including ensuring decent work, promoting consumer interests and making inclusive and sustainable societies possible.

In future, the BayernLB Group will report its progress in integrating the principles of the UN Global Compact into the Group’s structures and processes as part of its annual sustainability reporting.

About the Global Compact

Based on the Ten Universal Principles and the 17 SDGs, the UN Global Compact pursues the vision of an inclusive and sustainable global economy. Over 17,500 companies and organisations are already signatories of the UN Global Compact and contribute to the global vision.

As an initiative of the United Nations, the UN Global Compact provides a unique framework to discuss across sectors and borders how to develop globalisation fairly and to achieve this vision with suitable strategies and activities. The initiative does not see itself as a certified standard or an instrument of regulation, but rather as an open forum to initiate change processes and share ideas. The participants work with their national networks to develop specific solutions and in doing so they help achieve the UN Global Compact’s global vision.

The UN Global Compact supports companies to:

1. Do business responsibly in accordance with the Ten Principles.

2. Promote innovative solutions to realise the Sustainable Development Goals.

About DKB

Headquartered in Berlin, Deutsche Kreditbank AG, or DKB, is a member of the BayernLB Group and serves business and retail customers with its over 4,500strong staff. With EUR 126.9 billion in total assets, it ranks among the top 20 banks in Germany. DKB boasts over 4.8 million customers, who do their banking conveniently and securely online. DKB’s branch experts serve the bank’s business customers face-to-face, at 25 locations throughout Germany. As a partner to companies and municipalities, the Bank specialised early on in promising sectors in Germany: housing, healthcare, education, agriculture, infrastructure and renewable energy. In many of these areas it is in fact a market leader. DKB sets great store by acting sustainably: it therefore focuses on a sustainable lending business with the slogan #geldverbesserer (your money can do more).

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About BayernInvest

As an asset manager with a focus on sustainable investment strategies, BayernInvest optimises the financial, environmental and social return for institutional and private investors. The German ESG specialist offers its customers tailor-made and innovative investment and risk management concepts, professional fund management and market leading sustainability reporting. Even complex investment strategies in the field of alternative asset classes can implemented on a customer-specific basis via BayernInvest Luxembourg S.A.’s alternative investment platform. With assets under management of over EUR 100 billion and as a fully owned subsidiary of BayernLB, BayernInvest is rooted in Bavaria and keeps a close watch on international market developments. That makes it an ideal partner and forward-looking companion for sustainable investments. Its clearly defined mission is: We make sustainability profitable. And profitability sustainable. BayernInvest was one of the first German asset managers to sign the UN PRI back in 2011. Since 2020, BayernInvest has supported the Green Recovery Alliance and as such it fosters targeted investments in climate-friendly companies and infrastructures to secure the future for generations to come and ensure more resilience by the economy and financial markets.

Website: bayerninvest.de | LinkedIn: https://de.linkedin.com/…

About the Real I.S. Group

The Real I.S. Group has been BayernLB’s specialist fund service provider for real estate investments for 30 years. The member of the Savings Banks Finance Group is one of the top asset managers in the German market. Its range of products and services includes alternative investment funds (special AIF and closed-end retail AIF) and an open-end real estate retail fund as well as individual fund solutions, club deals and joint ventures. The company has over EUR 11 billion of assets under management. The Real I.S. Group has two licensed asset management companies (KVGs) in accordance with the German Capital Investment Code (KAGB) and subsidiaries or branches in France, Luxembourg, Spain, the Netherlands and Australia.

Website: realisag.de | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/…