News overview
View the latest news releases from Sustainable Banking and stay informed.
All publications
Why social entrepreneurs can soon look forward to more customers
Research shows that a majority of people in the Netherlands would prefer to buy products and services from social entrepreneurs. However, many admit they find it difficult to locate and identify social entrepreneurs. That’s why ABN AMRO has developed a search engine called The Good Search, which puts social enterprises right at the top of the list.
Circular enterprise in the food sector: new wine in old bottles
What potential does the circular economy hold for entrepreneurs in the food sector? Opportunities abound, but there are challenges, too, as was clear from the experiences of the entrepreneurs who recently participated in the ABN AMRO Food Circular Workshop. “It was nice to see they’re not daunted, though, and are getting support from other entrepreneurs.”
“Shedding light on banking-related human rights issues”
ABN AMRO is the first financial institution in the world to publish a comprehensive report on its human rights policy. The report outlines what the bank is doing right and where it still needs to improve – not just in far-flung places, but also close to home. “The right to privacy, for instance, is very much a burning issue for Dutch clients and staff. But a problem like human trafficking deserves attention, too.”
The Bank's Industries Sector's ambition: fifty sustainable deals in 2017
There’s certainly no shortage of attention for circular entrepreneurs active in the industrial sector. Obviously, that’s a good thing, but who’s going to finance all those new business models? “We want to take the lead,” says Frans Cuppen, Regional Director and Coordinator of ABN AMRO’s Industries Sector entity. He says meeting the objective will take a lot of creativity, expertise and determination – after all, “this is different from traditional financing in nearly every respect.”
The top-6 world goals according to our employees
The United Nations has set seventeen Sustainable Development Goals to address the most important problems facing the world today. These range from ensuring equal opportunities for all to creating sustainable consumption and production patterns. It’s an ambitious list. For maximum impact, the international business community and governments around the world will have to embrace all of them. And that’s exactly what ABN AMRO plans to do. Bank staff were recently asked to help by prioritising the goals, and external stakeholders, too, can have their say soon.
Richard (re)tweets: “We should be proud we’re not perfect but still working to improve”
Head of Sustainable Banking Richard Kooloos ranks his favourite tweets and retweets once every three months. This quarter’s picks: ABN AMRO’s Human Rights Report, the link between climate change and the war in Syria, and Zelfstroom’s success.