NBB ranks first in Arab world banking sector by Refinitiv

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has ranked first in the Arab World’s Banking Sector as per Refinitiv Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Scores as of 26th April 2022.

NBB’s achieved score of 72 points also places it within the top 10% of global banking services companies rated by Refinitiv, earning a 2nd place ranking across all sectors in the Arab World. This milestone underscores the Bank’s continuous efforts to implement ESG considerations across its business and operational conduct, following a commitment to become a more responsible organisation dedicated to meeting the needs of its various stakeholders.

Commenting on the recognition, Jean-Christophe Durand, CEO of NBB, said: “Our positioning highlights our positive contributions towards our community as well as our commitment to responsible banking.

Sustainability plays an essential role in our organisation, and will continue to be a priority at NBB.” Dana Buheji, Group Chief Human Resources and Sustainability Officer at NBB said: “Sustainability is an evolving journey, one that focuses on maintaining mutually beneficial agreements with added value to our key stakeholders while also enabling us to elevate our performance, reputation and positioning within the industry. We are committed to catering to the future needs of our stakeholders with inclusivity for all.”

The Bank’s recent sustainability-driven products and services include NBB’s offer of exclusive financing on solar

panel installation and education. ESG integration remains a core factor in the Bank’s business strategy, as NBB became the first bank in the Kingdom to successfully attain the ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management Systems (EMS) certification.

NBB has accomplished several key milestones on its journey toward embedding ESG across its operations. In 2021, NBB was the only constituent representing the Kingdom of Bahrain on the Refinitiv Arab Federation of Exchanges (“AFE”) Low Carbon Select Index.

The Bank was additionally awarded “The Middle East’s Best bank for Corporate Responsibility” by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2021 as well as Global Finance’s ‘Outstanding Leadership in Sustainability Transparency’ Award, recognising the Bank as future industry leader.