What actions is ING taking in relation to sustainability?

Our lives have been dominated in recent months by the coronavirus and its fight against it. Millions of people are rolling up their sleeves to help each other. With the outbreak of the coronavirus, not only the social and health impact, but also the ecological impact are more central than ever in our daily news. Whether you are acting as an individual or on behalf of your company, ING is on hand to support you and help you stay a step ahead in relation to climate and financial health changes. To do this, as well as developing its products and services, the bank is also adapting its range of financing options.

ING and its employees take various actions to contribute to society. To help local communities to become more autonomous, some important long-term partnerships have been established:

• Every year, with the King Baudouin Foundation, ING provides financial support for social projects contributing to the development of the circular economy, digital inclusion and financial education. In 2020, ING donated an extra EUR 500,000 to the solidarity fund set up by the King Baudouin Foundation for the benefit of hospitals and healthcare institutions.
• With Time4society, every year, more than 1,000 ING employees give up one day of their free time for a local association as part of ING Volunteering Days.
• Together with Close the Gap, ING supports the circular economy by giving hundreds of old laptops, screens and other IT equipment a second life every year mostly in African countries. Part of this load of laptops is also proposed to ING employees for purchase or given to local non-profit organization like in 2020 to Digital For Youth.
• Finally, its international partnership with UNICEF and all-year round employees’ fundraising aims to help today's young people develop the required skills to build the world of tomorrow.

You are a retail customer:

• Support with digitalisation and regular updates on cybersecurity
• Access to ING's channels, for everyone and at any time
• Tools and apps to help you manage your money more effectively
• Preferential rates to finance your bicycle purchases and energy renovations of your home
• Investment funds in compliance with the latest sustainability standards
• Regular updates on the latest sustainability trends

You are a wholesale client:

• Regular updates on the latest sustainability trends
• Information and inspiring examples (FR/NL) for sustainable business.
• Expertise relating to your business sector
• For specific sectors, regular evaluation of environmental and social risks linked to your financing
• A differentiated rate for companies that commit to improve their sustainability rating
• Green loans, leasing solutions and even classic financing solutions to support your transition
• Support to help you move closer towards compliance with the Paris agreements to keep climate warming below 2°C 

ING regularly updates its positions in relation to financing: the sectors it excludes (for example, production of animal fur, cosmetic testing on animals, nuclear weapons or rainforest deforestation) and what it expects from its clients in terms of respect for human rights and the environment. In its annual report, along with details on financial performance, you will also find information on its environmental and social impact throughout its value chain. This transparency has been rewarded by rating agencies such as Sustainalitics or the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, which rank ING among the most sustainable banks in the world.

Sustainability also means reducing the environmental footprint. ING is therefore reducing its energy consumption and its waste by improving recycling, optimising its rainwater consumption and by using more environmentally friendly methods of travel.

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