Tomorrow, Saturday 26 March at 8.30pm local time, UniCredit will turn off the lights in 50 of its buildings across all 13 Group countries for sixty minutes marking the bank’s 15th consecutive year of taking part in Earth Hour. Organised by the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), this global movement unites people to take action on environmental issues and protect the planet.
On this occasion, UniCredit Bank Serbia will turn off the lights for an hour, in its buildings in Belgrade, headquarters in Rajićeva 27-29 and Jurija Gagarina 12.
Support for this initiative is just one of the ways in which UniCredit is struggling to strengthen the community in which it operates, all in line with the new strategic plan, which, among other things, means that sustainability is woven into every part of the Bank’s business.
Fiona Melrose, Head of Group Strategy and ESG at UniCredit, said: “Our annual participation in Earth Hour is part of UniCredit’s strong efforts to support sustainability and take action against climate change. During 2021, we signed up to the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, publicly declaring our commitment to a more sustainable future and we have also recently enhanced our polices across Coal and Oil & Gas, reinforcing the principles that shape how we operate. We continue to progress on our net zero commitments and embed ESG in all areas of the business while strengthening corporate culture under our common purpose of Empowering Communities to Progress.”
UniCredit plays a central role in enabling the transition to a sustainable economy in line with the EU definition of sustainable financing, which aims to support economic growth while reducing environmental pressures and taking into account social and governance aspects. This is evidenced by the fact that UniCredit Group at the end of 2020, with a share of 70 transactions of green bonds and loans related to sustainable financing in the total amount of more than 15 billion euros, was fourth in the EMEA region according to Dealogic rankings lists.
The goal of the UniCredit Group is to increase support to the renewable energy sector by 25 percent by 2023, as well as a significant increase in energy efficiency loans for small and medium enterprises and individuals.
UniCredit puts its clients and communities at the heart of all activities and decisions, with a constant commitment to always serve their needs and be the bank for Europe’s future. To concretely showcase how ESG values are embedded in our business and culture, both our Annual and Integrated Reports this year include a series of stories about our clients and people across the different countries of the Group, working together to empower communities and unlock their potential. These highlight UniCredit’s strong ESG ambitions and continued focus on supporting the transition to a more sustainable, better society for all.