CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Commitments and impact

Discover how we're working to build a sustainable future for everyone

Read our last ESG report

 

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Commitments and impact

Discover how we're working to build a sustainable future for everyone

Our commitment to sustainability

Our One Mission is to have a positive impact on people’s lives, and building a sustainable future is a part of that. Our environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles demonstrate our commitment to building a sustainable future while representing the best interests of society.

Our ESG principles at a glance

From funding startups to supporting the protection of the Arctic, we contribute to many of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals through our ESG initiatives.

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We’re working to develop a green economy

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We’re enriching communities

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We govern according to the highest standards

Environment: our targets and contributions

As a major player in the Canadian financial industry, we’re determined to reduce the impact of our activities on the environment. We aim to maintain the highest standards of climate risk management and support our clients in implementing sustainable practices.

Our greenhouse gas emission reduction targets

Here are two of our concrete commitments to reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:

↓ 25%

Net-zero

Read our latest report on the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures Advances (TCFD) to learn about our progress in managing climate risk.

Our support for energy transition

Among our initiatives, we helped finance the Grand Renewable Wind project in Ontario. This 67-turbine plant produces 149 MW, enough clean energy to power 50,000 homes in Ontario. That's the equivalent of taking 83,000 cars off the road each year compared to carbon production.

Social: people first

We believe that people are the foundation of our success. That’s why we’re committed to our clients, team, and community.

Our clients

You're at the heart of all our efforts. It's only natural that we offer a human experience that focuses on support at every milestone in your life. We’re here to provide you with sound advice, services that are accessible both in-branch and online, and assistance tailored to seniors.    

At the same time, we're committed to simplifying the experience of our business clients and supporting entrepreneurship. We're proud to participate in a variety of training programs and support a dozen business incubators and accelerators.

Our team

We want to create one of the most exciting workplaces in the country and provide our employees with an experience that focuses on well-being and continuous development. Our talent reflects our commitment to inclusion and diversity. These values help us become a strong, creative, and relevant organization. Making a positive impact on people's lives starts right here.

Our community

We're committed to the communities in which we operate. Our clients, as well as our current and retired employees are involved by participating in our fundraising programs. We support over 300 organizations in Canada in fields such as arts and culture, notably through our corporate collection of more than 7,000 pieces by local artists.

Supporting financial education

Solid financial footing starts with knowledge. We are committed to making personal finance clearer and more accessible to everyone. How do we do it? By providing a range of financial literacy resources, including a program offered in partnership with the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education.

Governance: our high ethical standards

Integrity, trust, and honesty guide our relationships. We apply the highest ethical standards in the way we do business, from risk management to anticorruption. By implementing sound corporate governance practices and working with our stakeholders, we can make a lasting contribution to society's changing needs.

We promote a strong ethics culture, sound governance practices, and rigorous risk management.

Ensuring cybersecurity

One of our governance focuses is the protection of our systems and the information we hold. We're continuously improving information security to protect our clients, their data, and personal information.

Our ESG initiatives in detail

Learn more about our ESG initiatives and engagements in our 2022 Report on Environmental, Social and Governance Progress.

Our reports

Browse our reports, and codes and commitments for detailed information on our economic, social, and environmental impacts.
 

Through our philanthropic efforts, we're able to give back to the community. We support many organizations in a variety of fields, selected according to strict guidelines.

Little details that matter

Want to apply for a donation? Follow the steps below if your donation request is for:

  • An annual fundraising campaign

  • A major fundraising campaign

How to request a donation:

  1. Review the eligibility criteria below to see if your application is eligible for funding. Please note that eligibility does not guarantee funding. Each application follows an evaluation process and financial support is granted according to the available budget and National Bank's objectives.
  2. Once your online application is submitted, you'll receive a confirmation email. Please allow three months for a response. The timeline may be longer if we receive a very large number of requests or if yours is incomplete. If this happens, we'll contact you for more information.

The selection process is guided by our donation policy, which serves as a tool in the evaluation of applications received. This process is designed to be as fair and transparent as possible and to maximize the impact on the community.

Eligibility criteria

For National Bank to consider your application, it needs to meet the following criteria:

  • Come from a non-profit organization

  • Address National Bank's priority sectors, as described in the donations section. These include health, education, community support, arts and culture, entrepreneurship, inclusion and diversity, and the environment.

Exclusions

At National Bank, we believe that all not-for-profit organizations deserve support. Unfortunately, we can't fund all the requests we receive, no matter how worthy they are. To standardize our approach, we prefer to focus our philanthropic efforts outside the following areas:

  • Organizations that are not registered under federal law

  • Organizations that receive financial support from United Way/Centraide

  • Provincial campaigns for organizations that we already support at the national level

  • Social clubs

  • Political parties, political organizations, or interest groups promoting a political ideology

  • Lobby and special-interest groups

  • Individual projects

  • Private foundations

  • Private elementary and high schools

  • Projects taking place outside Canada

  • Annual conferences and meetings

  • Audio, video or web productions

  • Charity auctions

Donation management

National Bank applies these criteria to all eligible requests, and the selection of organizations that receive financial support is based on those criteria. We consider the following:

  • Nature of the request and financial objective of the campaign

  • History of donations already made to the requesting organization

  • Value of our commitments in the requesting organization's sector

  • Analysis of comparable donations made in the same sector

  • Commitment of our employees to that cause or organization

Other types of donations

The majority of National Bank's contributions to organizations may be of a financial nature, but donations can sometimes take another form.

Equipment donations

Occasionally, National Bank will donate furniture and equipment that it is no longer being used. 

Responding to urgent needs

In addition to concerted action and our donation program, National Bank's in-branch fund raising efforts have been put to use to relieve urgent humanitarian needs and support on-the-ground operations of the Canadian Red Cross.

1. Reference year: 2019. This science-based and absolute target aims to help limit global warming to 1.5°C. It includes Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions (Scope 3 includes employee business travel and paper consumption as part of the supply chain).

2. National Bank joined the United Nations Net-Zero Banking Alliance in 2021, which supports banks' efforts to combat climate change by aligning financing activities with the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.