UniCredit achieves A+ rating with its 2010 Sustainability Report
UniCredit's 2010 Sustainability Report achieved an A+ rating, the maximum possible under the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), aligned with international best practices.
"Sustainability plays a key role today in the success of a bank," said UniCredit CEO Federico Ghizzoni. "At UniCredit, we firmly believe that banking and sustainability are two aspects of a single discipline."
The 2010 Sustainability Report was presented at the recent Shareholders' Meeting, along with the Consolidated Reports and Accounts, which together provide a complete overview of the Group's activities. This overview includes financial and non-financial indicators, as well as dialogue initiatives with all stakeholders.
The strengthening of employee engagement, which now goes beyond European norms, and significant improvements in customer satisfaction are the main results achieved and highlighted in the 2010 Sustainability Report. An additional focus is the Group's renewed commitment to support sustainable development in the regions in which UniCredit operates.
UniCredit has heavily invested in the training and development of its employees, with a 10 percent increase in training hours in 2010. UniCredit's employees are a fundamental asset in building sustainable relationships with customers.
Quality of service, transparency and simplicity are the main areas that UniCredit has focused on in the course of improve its customer relationships. Activities have included:
- training programs on customer satisfaction, in which approximately 7,300 colleagues participated
- improved response times for credit applications, which were reduced by 50 percent within Corporate Banking Italy
- financial education initiatives involving more than 10,000 participants, individuals and entrepreneurs
UniCredit has also provided extensive support for the long-term growth of the regions in which it operates. It has allocated €86 million to initiatives that promote innovation, internationalization and entrepreneurial activity, as well as to sponsorships and other partnerships with cultural, social and environmental causes and sporting events.
UniCredit maintains an environmental sustainability program that includes a planned reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2012. UniCredit also continues to finance renewable energy: at the end of 2010 the Corporate & Investment Banking portfolio in this field reached €4.4 billion.
UniCredit's 2010 Sustainability Report is available at www.unicreditgroup.eu/en/Sustainability
Milan, May 9, 2011
Contacts:
Media Relations Tel. +39 02 88628236;
e mail: mediarelations@unicredit.eu
Corporate Sustainability Tel. +39 02 87275613 / +39 02 87275595;
e mail: corporatesustainability@unicredit.eu