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CSR and diversity

Diversity

With employees drawn from 140 nationalities working in over 50 countries BNP Paribas CIB is a truly diverse organisation. For us diversity is much more than a recruitment goal, or a policy; it's an essential part of who we are and our success. We encourage all our people to make the most of what BNP Paribas CIB has to offer by taking advantage of international opportunities whenever they occur. This has resulted in rich diversity within each of our offices and close working relationships between individuals, divisions and offices throughout our global network. What this means for you is an interesting and challenging blend of nationalities and backgrounds bringing different perspectives and new ideas.

Across the entire BNP Paribas Group there is a proactive Diversity Policy in place and a Group Diversity Committee meets fortnightly to discuss Diversity issues.

Gender

The banking sector as a whole is working to tackle the issue of gender equality and BNP Paribas, a member of the United Nations Global Compact since 2003, has recently signed the United Nations Statement of Support for the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP). In addition to such strategic initiatives, BNP Paribas supports women’s networks in our offices around the world.

Our other key priorities include the employment and integration of people with disabilities and age diversity and there are numerous networks and employee groups to support staff from a variety of minority groups.

Corporate and Social Responsibility

Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) is an important part of BNP Paribas CIB’s approach to business – it’s part of our mindset. We have a deep concern for the impact of our activities on the environment and feel a strong sense of responsibility to the communities in which we operate.

Employee participation is a key component of our CSR strategy and as a graduate joining one of our programmes you will have many opportunities to contribute to CSR impact through a wide range of initiatives.

What we can do in our free time, and how we run our business are important – our volunteering programmes provide valuable support in schools and communities and our donation of our end-of-year-gifts budget to the Institut Pasteur supports life-saving research into infectious diseases.

But as part of a successful global banking Group we can do more – we can use our position and connections to influence events on a larger scale. So, as well as contributing time and resources to important causes we are also passionate about the leading role finance can play in helping countries to develop and in promoting environmentally positive initiatives:

• Equator Principles – a global leader in project finance, BNP Paribas has adopted this rigorous standard for assessing the impact of projects across a range of criteria including labour conditions, pollution, community health and safety, land issues, biodiversity, indigenous people and cultural heritage.
• Developing infrastructure – BNP Paribas is the world’s leading bank in export credit agency financing (Dealogic Q1 2010). Our Export Finance team provides funds to emerging market countries where new equipment and infrastructure are critical to economic development. In the Philippines we have played an important role in supporting the construction of rural bridges and roll-on, roll-off ports to link the islands.
• Renewable energy – BNP Paribas CIB is one of the leaders in the financing of renewable energy projects, financing 8–10 wind farm projects around the world each year as well as numerous solar energy projects in the Middle East and Europe.
• Carbon finance – BNP Paribas Commodity Futures accounts for around 20% of the orders on the European Climate Exchange.
• Global Equity Derivatives has developed a series of indices that promote sustainable development with a positive impact on climate change and society.
• BNP Paribas CIB is spearheading a move for the entire Group to adopt the Climate Principles www.theclimateprinciples.org
• Promoting alternative views in China – in 2010 BNP Paribas organised its 17th China Conference on the theme ‘Alternative China’, which focused on the advocating and planning strategies to avoid the unviable ‘get-rich-first, clean-up-later’ model.

Discover more about the range and impact of our environmental and social projects around the world at www.forachangingworld.com

The BNP Paribas Foundation

Much of our philanthropic work is driven by the BNP Paribas Foundation. The Foundation finances vital research projects in the medical and environmental fields as well as supporting and promoting projects focusing on education, social integration, and disability.

The Foundation also works to preserve and promote France’s cultural heritage through museums and galleries and by supporting artists and performers in disciplines that struggle to attract funding.