LONDON: The Financial Times and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, have announced the shortlist for the 2012 FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Awards, which recognise environmentally and socially responsible banking and investment globally.

Now in its seventh year, the 2012 awards attracted 161 entries from 145 financial institutions and 36 non-financial groups from 67 different countries. The entries were received in four categories: Sustainable Bank of the Year, Sustainable Investor of the Year, Sustainable Investment of the Year and Technology in Sustainable Finance. Under Sustainable Bank of the Year, the awards are regionally subdivided for leadership and innovation in Africa/Middle East, Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe.  A separate Sustainable Global Bank of the Year prize is open to institutions with assets of more than $500 billion, substantial operations on at least two continents and more than 20 percent of revenues earned outside the country of incorporation.

The shortlisted nominees are as follows:

Sustainable Bank of the Year

Africa/Middle East
Bank of Palestine
BMCE Bank, Morocco
Nedbank, South Africa

Americas
Banco de Galicia y Buenos Aires, Argentina
Itaú Unibanco, Brazil
Santander Brasil, Brazil

Asia/Pacific
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Japan
XacBank, Mongolia
YES Bank, India

Europe
Bank Sarasin & Co, Switzerland
Co-operative Banking Group, UK
Sekerbank, Turkey

Sustainable Global Bank of the Year

Banco Santander, Spain
Bank of America, USA
BNP Paribas, France
Citi, USA
Credit Agricole, France
Credit Suisse, Switzerland
Morgan Stanley, USA
Standard Chartered, UK

Sustainable Investor of the Year

Bridges Ventures, UK
Dragon Capital Group, Vietnam
Environment Agency, UK
LeapFrog Investments, Australia
SAM, Switzerland
Storebrand, Norway
VantagePoint Capital Partners, USA

Sustainable Investment of the Year

CleanStar Mozambique & Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Mozambique-UK
Embraport & Inter-American Development Bank & WestLB, Brazil-USA-Germany
Korean Recycling Plant & ZincOx Resources, South Korea-UK
Optima Energia & Acapulco Municipality, Mexico
PerPETual Global & Aloe Private Equity, India-UK
VINTE Viviendas Integrales SAPI de CV & IIF, Mexico-USA

Technology in Sustainable Finance

Credit Suisse & Opportunity International, Switzerland-USA
Itaú Unibanco, Brazil
Kilimo Salama, Kenya
Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, USA
Yellow Pepper, USA

“This is a very impressive list of nominees, combining institutions we know well from previous years with new names that are beginning to make a mark in this important field,” said Martin Dickson, FT Deputy Editor and Co-Chair of the awards judging panel. “The quality of this year’s entries has been extremely high, including in our new categories, and the judges are looking forward to a deep and detailed examination of the short-lists over the next few weeks.”

Nena Stoiljkovic, IFC Vice President, Business Advisory Services, said: “We are delighted with the institutions shortlisted to the 2012 edition of the Sustainable Finance Awards. They are diverse and include a broad spectrum of financial intermediaries. For the first time, they also include non-financial institutions that are helping make sustainability a driving force in their economies. We have also observed a significant number of non-financial technology companies working on projects that further financial inclusion.”

The winners in each category will be announced at a special dinner at the Landmark Hotel in London on 14 June 2012.

The awards judging panel consists of:

  • Martin Dickson, Deputy Editor, Financial Times (co-chair)
  • Nena Stoiljkovic, Vice President, Business Advisory Services, IFC (co-chair)
  • James Gifford, Executive Director, UN PRI
  • David Harris, Head, Responsible Investment, FTSE Group
  • Mary-Ellen Iskenderian, President and CEO, Women’s World Banking
  • Chris Locke, Managing Director, GSMA Development Fund
  • Herman Mulder, International Sustainable Development Advisor

PwC is technical advisor to the programme.

The awards dinner will conclude the 2012 FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Conference, a full-day gathering of major decision-makers, strategists and visionaries. Confirmed speakers for the Conference include:

  • James Cameron, Executive Vice Chairman, Climate Change Capital
  • Rashad Kaldany, Vice President, Global Industries, IFC
  • Sara Akbar, CEO, Kuwait Energy Company
  • Runa Alam, CEO, Development Partners International
  • Alan Mackay, CEO, Hermes GPE LLP
  • Rachel Kyte, Vice President & Network Head, Sustainable Development, World Bank
  • Murilo Portugal Filho, President, Febraban (Brazilian Banking Federation)
  • Mark Devadason, Group Head of Sustainability & Regions, Standard Chartered Bank

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For further information, please contact:

Kristina Eriksson, Financial Times
London
T: +44 (0) 20 7873 4961
E: Kristina.Eriksson@ft.com

Julie Ziegler, IFC
Washington DC
T: +1 (202) 473 0128
E: JZiegler1@ifc.org

About the Financial Times:

The Financial Times, one of the world’s leading business news organisations, is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Providing essential news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community, the FT has a combined paid print and digital circulation of over 600,000  (Deloitte assured, 2 January 2012 – 1 April 2012) and a combined print and online average daily readership of 2.2 million people worldwide (PwC assured, November 2011). FT.com has more than 4.5 million registered users and 285,475 paying digital subscribers. The newspaper, printed at 21 print sites across the globe, has a global print circulation of 319,381 (ABC, March 2012).

About IFC:

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in developing countries. We create opportunity for people to escape poverty and improve their lives. We do so by providing financing to help businesses employ more people and supply essential services, by mobilizing capital from others, and by delivering advisory services to ensure sustainable development. In a time of global economic uncertainty, our new investments climbed to a record $18 billion in fiscal 2010. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

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