• The report emphasizes the importance the bank attaches to supporting the ecological transition of the economy
• In 2022, BRD expanded its scope of interest for the ESG area: energy efficiency, energy transition, waste management, water treatment, clean mobility, circular economy companies, green real estate developments or acquisitions and social impact financing
• In 2022, the bank granted sustainable financing in the amount of 1.1 billion RON
• Also last year, BRD launched its first green lending products for individuals
• The BRD Group reduced its energy consumption in 2022 by 12.5% and, at the same time, the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from operations
• Among the most important actions with an impact for a more sustainable Romania was the Climate Change Summit conference, which was watched by almost 800,000 people
• The cultural projects carried out through the Foundation9 had an impact on over 3.5 million people

Groupe Société Générale launched the sustainability report for 2022 under the title “With a step into the future”. The document presents the bank’s non-financial activities of the past year and its ESG efforts, which are carried out under the umbrella of the Lumea9 platform.

“We aim to build and contribute, together with our partners, to the growth of a space dedicated to ideas and solutions capable of helping the economy and society move forward faster. The BRD Group reduced its energy consumption in 2022 by 12.5% compared to 2021. We also managed to reduce GHG emissions from our operations compared to 2021 and launched our first green credits for individuals. We have achieved our stated goals for digital transformation, the launch of customer enrollment and remote consumer lending, as well as the increasing adoption of digital channels. We supported the distribution and supply of electricity and natural gas during the energy crisis that hit Europe in 2022 by providing loans worth more than EUR 600 M. In terms of ratings, we are among the eight BSE-listed companies that entered the Sustainalytics analysis at the beginning of 2022, achieving top sustainability scores. These are just some of the most important aspects of BRD’s work towards sustainability in 2022. But a positive change requires the contribution of us all: individuals, authorities, companies and civil society”, said François Bloch, CEO of BRD – Groupe Société Generale.

Last year, the bank granted sustainable financing of 1.1 billion lei. Digitization was also at the fore, with a 123% increase in digitally active customers over the last 4 years and fully digitized workflows for enrolment, personal loans, credit cards and data updates.

In terms of reducing the impact of its own operations, BRD saved 150,000 KWh annually just by replacing and optimizing the UPSs in the BRD Tower. In total, BRD reduced its total energy consumption by 12.5% compared to 2021 (-13% in electricity, -10.2% in heating).

The social impact of BRD also increased in 2022, reaching more than 3.5 million people in the area of cultural projects alone. Through the 9 Foundation and the Lumea9 sustainability platform, new events and projects were organized and supported in culture, art, film, music, environment, tech, education, sport, among which we mention:

• Neo Art Connect – founded together with Galateca and the Neo Art Romania Cultural Foundation, it is the first network, national platform and art and science festival;

• SoNoRo Conac – in 2022 it will be 10 years since BRD supports chamber music concerts, by association with various Romanian architectural works;

• The Stradivarius Tour, patronized by the violinist Alexandru Tomescu. Object of a partnership since 2015, last year the tour reached 16 sold-out concerts in 15 towns;

• Scena9, Scoala9 and Mindcraft Stories platforms continued to carry out projects in the field of culture, education and technology journalism;

• BRD First Tech Challenge – the national robotics championship for high school students, supported by BRD since 2016, reached in 2022 over 13,000 students who took part in the competition and over 2,000 teachers and mentors who coordinated the teams;

• Innovation Labs – the longest-running pre-accelerator entrepreneurial education program with a university tradition and a national footprint, dedicated to tech startups; last year it reached over 61 successful teams across the country with a value of over €200 million;

• Innovators for Children – mentoring offered by BRD for start-ups, facilitating networking and offering business-related consultancy;

• Applied Data Science Center – is an R&D center founded with the support of BRD, focused on applied research in the field of artificial intelligence;

• Complex Information System Lab – a research and development laboratory dedicated to start-ups that develop hardware products, offering mentoring, training and technical support for projects in a more advanced area;

• How to Web Conference – the event where entrepreneurs, investors, product developers, specialists and technology enthusiasts attend to discover the latest methods of innovation and connect with other professionals in the technology industry;

• 9 years of performance support as an official partner of the Romanian Handball Federation;

• GO Scholarship – initiated by the Sports HUB team, a project started from the desire to offer the best to young athletes (14-18 years old), in addition to sports and educational training;

• “Neinvinșii” – an editorial project that presents important moments from the lives and careers of some of the most important Romanian athletes, in partnership with Lead.ro;

• The “Maria” International Wheelchair Basketball Tournament from Oradea – the longest-running event dedicated to the adapted basketball game in Romania;

• International tennis tournaments for people with disabilities from Pitesti and Bucharest

• Day V – one of the largest corporate volunteer programs; a marketplace for a cause, where BRD employees can choose where to contribute time, skills, money, ideas and energy; in 2022 the program turned 5 years old. Among other initiatives, the colleagues involved in the program planted 5,000 saplings in Lipănești commune, a new step in building an ecosystem of over 100,000 trees to be realized over the next 5 years;

• The road to money – BRD’s financial education podcast has reached over 1 million people

The most important event of 2022 in the area of sustainability was the Climate Change Summit (CCS), initiated in partnership with Social Innovation Solutions. CCS is the first summit dedicated to climate change, aiming to become the most relevant regional conference on climate change solutions, bringing expertise from around the world and the brightest minds from Romania (over 800 offline participants and speakers and 766,000 online viewers at first edition). As part of the event, the biggest foresight exercise about Romania’s future took place: “Climate Scenarios for Romania – 2030”.

Another important objective in the bank’s ESG strategy is to maintain and constantly raise its standards as a responsible employer. Thus, BRD assumes the responsibility of creating a work environment in which employees can develop their full potential and contribute to the success of the organization. The most important action in this regard was, in 2022, the “Climate Fresk” training program, aimed at developing the necessary knowledge to generate ideas and initiatives that contribute to limiting the negative effects of climate change.

Last but not least, rating agencies such as Sustainalytics or Refinitiv appreciated BRD’s performance, an aspect directly reflected in the ratings offered.

The 2022 sustainability report – “With a step into the future” is the second published by the BRD Group. The document was developed in accordance with the requirements of the Romanian legislation regarding non-financial reporting and based on the GRI Standards.

About BRD – Groupe Société Générale

BRD – Groupe Société Générale is the third largest bank in Romania. A universal bank offering services to both individuals and companies, BRD is part of the Société Générale Group, one of the largest European financial services groups.

Lumea9 is the sustainability platform that brings together all the themes that BRD considers important for building a better future, from sustainable economy, banking products and services with positive impact, to education, culture, society, science, technology, environment and biodiversity. As part of the Société Générale Group, a signatory of the United Nations (UN) Global Compact since 2003, the BRD Group integrates the principles of human rights, working conditions and the fight against corruption in all its activities and actively participates in the promotion of the principles in the chain value. In addition, the BRD Group supports and contributes to the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), recognizing their importance in addressing the world’s greatest societal challenges. The Lumea9 platform is also supported by the projects founded and financed by BRD – Groupe Société Générale that relate to the development of Romanian society. In the last 10 years, BRD’s investments in these programs were over 20 million euros. The main axes have in common the investment in the new generation, whether we are talking about culture, education, technology, innovation or sport.