Societe Generale joins the UAE Board of the United Nations Global Compact as it continues to champion sustainable and impact finance goals both globally and in the GCC

Societe Generale has been particularly active in the field of sustainable and positive impact finance. As a global co-chair of the UNEP-FI it co-authored a report entitled “Rethinking Impact to Finance the SDGs”, which reviews the scope and nature of the financing gap for sustainable development in order to propose new solutions around innovative business models and the inclusion of a broader set of stakeholders. 

In the UAE, the bank has shown leadership in a number of strategic initiatives either related directly to its business, such as leading the first ever green loan in the region for Masdar in 2018, or to societal change, such as championing the UN WEPs adoption by a range of peer companies in the region. The bank also participated this year as a content partner in the annual World Government Summit in Dubai, launching a white paper co-authored with the Summit that offers a tool-kit of actionable investment and borrowing solutions  enabling regional and global Sovereign Wealth Funds to become game-changers for the sustainable and positive impact finance agenda. As part of the Summit and its on-going advocacy work, the bank is also chairing a Finance think tank that helps expert clusters on each of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals tackle their crucial funding challenges.

Richad Soundardjee, CEO Societe Generale Middle East and newly appointed Board Member of  the UNGC UAE Network said: “Societe Generale has been a signatory of the UNGC since 2003 and has been actively advocating concrete steps to influence the adoption of the SDGs in the financial sector and beyond, starting by taking strong commitments for itself. Therefore a regional role as a board member of the UNGC UAE Network will enable us to further intensify our impact in favour of the complex but so crucial achievement of the UNGC goals particularly in our industry. Being able to do so in the UAE, where the leadership of the country is so committed and actively acting upon those goals, is an even greater privilege”.

Press contacts: Ayesha Daya +971 (0)50 888 7356 ayesha@kalimacommunications.com

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Societe Generale

Societe Generale is one of the leading European financial services groups. Based on a diversified and integrated banking model, the Group combines financial strength and proven expertise in innovation with a strategy of sustainable growth, aiming to be the trusted partner for its clients, committed to the positive transformations of society and the economy.

Active in the real economy for over 150 years, with a solid position in Europe and connected to the rest of the world, Societe Generale has over 147,000 members of staff in 67 countries and supports on a daily basis 31 million individual clients, businesses and institutional investors around the world by offering a wide range of advisory services and tailored financial solutions. The Group is built on three complementary core businesses:

• French Retail Banking which encompasses the Societe Generale, Crédit du Nord and Boursorama brands. Each offers a full range of financial services with omnichannel products at the cutting edge of digital innovation;
• International Retail Banking, Insurance and Financial Services to Corporates, with networks in Africa, Russia, Central and Eastern Europe and specialised businesses that are leaders in their markets;
• Global Banking and Investor Solutions, which offers recognised expertise, key international locations and integrated solutions.

Societe Generale is included in the principal socially responsible investment indices: DJSI (World and Europe), FTSE4Good (Global and Europe), Euronext Vigeo (World, Europe and Eurozone), four of the STOXX ESG Leaders indices, and the MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index.

For more information, you can follow us on Twitter  @societegenerale or visit our website www.societegenerale.com

© Press Release 2019