Banco Real is the Sustainable Bank of the Year

Banco Real triumphs in Financial Times Sustainable Banking Awards

Banco Real has been named as ‘Sustainable Bank of the Year’ at the prestigious Financial Times Sustainable Banking Awards. In a double coup, the Brazilian bank also took out the ‘Sustainable Emerging Markets Bank of the Year’.

Now in their third year, the Awards were created by the Financial Times in association with the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. They 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 are one of the most important recognitions of sustainable activities in the financial world.

Banco Real was selected from a record 182 entries from 129 institutions across 54 countries and this was the first time the top prize in the global contest has gone to an emerging markets bank. The judges said the bank had pioneered sustainable banking in South America, putting social and environmental issues at the centre of all its business activities and involving its 32,000 staff in the strategy.

"Sustainability is in its DNA," the judges said. "Banco Real has a radical vision for sustainability in Latin America: it believes a bank is only as sound as the society that surrounds it."

More information on the Awards and the judge’s comments can be found on the Financial Times website.