Sustainable banking

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sustainable banking (also social banking , ethical banking , green banking , green banking, sustainable banking , etc.) describes a certain type of alternative private-sector banking that pays particular attention to social and ecological issues and is therefore particularly committed to sustainability . An alliance of banks in this direction is the Global Alliance for Banking on Values .

term

The term sustainable banking is not clearly defined, in the media and scientific publications there are different terms such as social banking, social bank , ethical bank (see also ethical investment ) or the term eco bank . In science, the special focus on values ​​and the real economy is also emphasized. It is difficult to clearly distinguish it from social business , which goes back to the Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus .

history

Some authors see the modern roots of so-called responsible investments in the 1920s, the civil rights and environmental protection movements of the 1960s and in the fight against apartheid in South Africa. With the cooperative banks there has been a forerunner of the social banks in Germany since the middle of the 19th century. The oldest sustainable banks are the German GLS Bank , founded in 1974, and the Dutch Triodos Bank , which started business in 1980.

The Global Alliance for Banking on Values ​​was founded in 2009 .

business

In principle, sustainable banks offer the same business as normal banks, i.e. current accounts as well as investment banking . The business therefore does not completely question the economic basis of the banking business, but rather expands it with additional methods and components. However, explicit reference is made to the necessary “benefit for people and the environment” and mandatory exclusion criteria for the entire banking business. In addition, one of the basic criteria is complete transparency about the granting of loans. This fundamental attitude distinguishes sustainable banks from other banks or credit institutions that also, but not only, offer sustainable products. Sustainable banking is therefore a further development and improvement of financial services with the aim of maintaining and promoting disadvantaged areas, groups and economic sectors at market returns on capital. It therefore sees itself as a “market enlarger” with the aim of creating a sustainable, socially solidarity and ecologically oriented economy. Among the younger players in sustainable and social banking, e.g. B. loan platforms, the "social" is interpreted more methodically, in the sense of "joint action". This second, internet-based generation is characterized by direct exchange and a transparent connection between investors, borrowers and financial institutions.

Sustainability assessments

Sustainable banks usually have a (relatively) independent advisory body on hand to assess the effects of certain financial products. In addition, banks and other financial service providers are also assessed with regard to sustainability by other independent institutes or associations / non-governmental organizations , such as Utopia.de , Stiftung Warentest , Ökotest , consumer centers or the Fair Finance Guide .

List of sustainable banks (selection) in German-speaking countries

Sustainable funds

Sustainable banking also includes the asset class of sustainable, ethical-ecological funds and stocks (see also ethical investment ). Some sustainable banks offer their own sustainable funds (sustainability funds). There are also other fund companies such as Ökoworld that have specialized in sustainable funds. Funds are also checked for sustainability by consumer advice centers, for example.

See also

literature

  • M. Bendig, M. Habschick, J. Evers: Social Banking - The New Cosmos . In: The Bank. Edition 08/2010. ( die-bank.de ( Memento from November 5, 2011 in the Internet Archive ))
  • L. Lochmaier: We are the bank - opportunities and perspectives of social banking. 1st edition. Heise Zeitschriften Verlag, 2010, ISBN 978-3-936931-64-8 .
  • S. Schmidt, C. Weistroffer, B. Speyer: Responsible Investments - More than a fad. Deutsche Bank Research, Current Issues 484, Frankfurt am Main, May 17, 2010, ISSN  1435-0734 .
  • U. Reifner: Social Banking - Approaches and experiences about the integration of social objectives in private financial services. In: L. Schuster: The social responsibility of the banks. Erich Schmidt, Berlin 1997, ISBN 3-503-04312-8 , pp. 205 ff. (Social Banking - Approaches to and Experiences in the Integration of Social Goals into Privately Organized Financial Services)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Marc Winkelmann: Ethical banks: The toad migration. In: Spiegel Online . Retrieved February 15, 2017 .
  2. ↑ The Money Improvers. In: handelsblatt.com . December 31, 2008, accessed February 15, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Susann Schmidt, Christian Weistroffer: Responsible Investments - More than a fad in: German Bank Research. May 17, 2016 (PDF file)
  4. ↑ Nadine Oberhuber: Ethical Banking: The "good bankers". In: zeit.de . August 5, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2017 .
  5. ↑ Interview with the Institute for Social Banking. ( Memento from June 2, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
  6. ↑ a b c Interview: How the Institute for Social Banking understands its profile. In: lochmaier.wordpress.com. January 12, 2010, accessed February 15, 2017 .
  7. ↑ See for a summary, for example, S. Schmidt, C. Weistroffer, B. Speyer: Responsible Investments - More than a fad. Deutsche Bank Research, 2010, p. 9. (PDF)
  8. ↑ The history of the GLS Bank ( Memento from January 4, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
  9. ↑ An overview of our history. In: triodos.com. August 2, 2014, accessed February 15, 2017 .
  10. ↑ unknown. (No longer available online.) In: blog.triodos.de. Archived from the original on December 4, 2009 ; accessed on February 15, 2017 .
  11. ↑ http://www.gls.de/die-gls-bank/ueber-uns/ziel-und-arbeitsweise/ausschlussbedingungen.html ( Memento from October 3, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
  12. ↑ [1]

Web links