PRESS RELEASE

BN Bank ASA becomes Signatory of the global Principles for Responsible Banking 

13-3-2020, Geneva

BN Bank ASA has become an official Signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Banking – a single framework for a sustainable banking industry developed through an innovative partnership between banks worldwide and United Nations Environment’s Finance Initiative.  

 

The Principles for Responsible Banking set out the banking industry’s role and responsibility in shaping a sustainable future and in aligning the banking sector with the objectives of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. They also, importantly, enable a bank to embed sustainability across all its business areas, and to identity where it has the potential to make the most impact in its contributions to a sustainable world. They also position a bank to leverage new business opportunities with the emergence of the sustainable development economy.

 

With all our business in Norway we have for too long leaned on regulations building the boundaries for our responsibility.  In the last year we have realized that this is not good enough. We have taken action on unsound practices in consumer lending, and realized our responsibility to point to necessary improvements, and to advocate sustainable business practices to protect consumers from predatory lending. Inspired by this drive to push our industry in the direction of fairness and consumer protection we also realized that we were not without responsibility in the strive for sustainability in a broader sense.

 

Svein Tore Samdal, Chief Executive Officer BN Bank ASA said:

“As a bank specializing in financing real-estate construction, corporate real estate and homes, BN Bank has set out on a challenging journey when we commit to guiding our customers and steering our business towards reaching a goal of a more sustainable future.” 

 

Media Contacts 

Endre Jo Reite, CCO, phone: +47 922 29 997

Trond Søraas, CFO, phone: +47 922 36 803

Svein Tore Samdal , CEO, phone: +47 902 08 588

 

More information about the Principles for Responsible Banking available here: www.unepfi.org/responsiblebanking