Santander is chosen as the most responsible bank in Portugal

 

The preparation of the classification is based on the assessment of directors and various specialists in the economic-financial and journalism areas. It has also had the contribution of Merco Consumo and Merco Digital, plus benchmarking.

 

According to Inês Oom de Sousa, president of the Fundação Santander Portugal and responsible for Santander ESG in Europe, “This award provides us with additional encouragement in the long but important work ahead of us. We have the responsibility to set an example in terms of ESG, not only in terms of climate, but also in the Social and Government area. But it is also a privileged opportunity to help our clients in the climate transition, to generate impact and to contribute to making this society more inclusive and sustainable.”

 

The bank has incorporated the criteria ESG to transform into a more responsible company. In it pillar E (Environment), continues to work to meet the Paris Agreement Goals and support our clients in the transition to a low-carbon economy; in it pillar S (Social), to maximize its impact, moving towards an increasingly fair and inclusive society; and on the pillar G (Government), to do things The Right Way, through clear and solid processes.

 

Decarbonization goals were also defined as important, especially through an alignment of the credit portfolio to achieve zero emissions by 2050, in line with the objectives of the Santander Group, and achieve 220.000 million euros in green finance (green financing), maintaining a clear objective of supporting clients in the transition towards a low-carbon economy and reducing its own environmental footprint as much as possible.

 

The assessment criteria are based on a comprehensive assessment methodology to evaluate the most ESG-responsible companies: with the environment, internally, customers and society, and in the ethical and corporate governance areas.

 

On the other hand, the path towards a more inclusive and sustainable society It is also done through financial empowerment, the promotion of education, entrepreneurship and employment. The Santander Group has financially empowered more than 7,4 million people around the world since 2019 and wants this goal to exceed 10 million people by 2025. Through its community support programs, with the collaboration From IPSS and other social entities, more than 4 million people received aid in the last four years and our goal is to reach 10 million in 2025.

 

The Fundação Santander Portugal was recently created to reinforce the bank's impact on society. With an initial endowment of 22,5 million euros, the foundation will develop programs with a high social, economic and environmental impact, and will intervene in fundamental areas such as education, employability, ecology and social.