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 Environmental standards loom ever larger in banks' lending decisions, by Susanne Bergius, ENDS Report, December 2008
German | English
 60 Second Profile on the Equator Principles, Good Practice Newsletter from ICMM, December 2008
Ecology Stamp on Project Finance, by Susanne Bergius, Handelsblatt, 16 July 2008 (in German)
 Banks increase their environmental requirements
 Promoting Greater Responsibility in Project Financing by Natasha Cappon, Canada, Spring, 2008
 China to bring in green loan benchmark, 25 January, 2008
 A Question of Principles, Infrastructure Magazine, by Kimberley Gaskin, June 2007
 Citigroup to scale up its green spending,The Financial Times, 8 May 2007.
Leaders challenge 'business as usual', Guardian, 6 November 2006
Financial Sector Responsibility
Building a better world (for investors and whales), The Banker, 3 July 2006
Update on the Equator Principles - 2006 Revision, Allens Arthur Robinson, August 2006
The Miami Herald
July 31, 2006.
Building sustainability into syndication, Project Finance - July/August 2006
For Citigroup, Greening Starts With Listening
For people and planet, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 April 2006
Conservation You Can Bank On (Christopher Wright) (PDF - 91k)
'A New Environment', Legal Week 2 February 2006 (Paul Watchman and Charles July of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer) (PDF - 2572k)
'Banks Business and Human Rights' (2006) 2 JIBFL 46 (Paul Watchman of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer) (PDF - 59k)
 Polluters Clean Up Act to Attract Lenders, The Moscow Times, 12 October 2005
The Equator Principles - guidelines for responsible project financing, Focus, Allens Arthur Robinson, August 2005 (PDF - 122k)
Corporate Green, Washington Post, 11 May 2005
Taking The Earth Into Account, Time Europe, 9 May 2005
Principles in Question, The Banker, March 2005 (PDF - 97k)
Banking on the future, Euromoney Syndicated Lending Handbook 2005, December 2004 (PDF - 38k)
A Matter of Principles, Global Finance, January 2005
Principle Finance, Euromoney, October 2004
Putting principles into practice, Environmental Finance, June 2004
'Greening' of financial sector gathering speed, Financial Times, 4 June 2004
"Equator - Risk and Sustainability," from Project Finance International, 2004 Yearbook. (PDF - 429k)
NGOs Bring Bank Scrutiny Back on Track, Ethical Corporation Online, 2 May 2004
Banks contest ban proposed for coal and oil extraction, Financial Times, 5 April 2004
A Matter of Principal, Project Finance, 3 March 2004
The Equator Principles: a milestone or just good PR?, Global Agenda, 26 January 2004
 Mizuho To Adopt Environmental Standards In Project Financing, CNNfn, 26 October 2003
 Dexia adhθre aux "Equator principles", La Tribune, 22 September 2003 (in French)
 Western Banks Set Standards for Eco-Friendly Lending. Japanese Banks Far Behind. NGO Keeping Close Watch, Nikkei, 5 September 2003
A point of principle, Global Finance, July 2003
 Equator Principles Why Indian Banks Too Should be Guided by Them, The Hindu, 25 July 2003
 Project finance Standards for Lending, Financial Mail, 25 July 2003
Financiers must meet criteria, Business Day, 14 July 2003
Banks agree new loan guidelines, Ethical Performance, July 2003
Principled finance?, Project Finance, June 2003 Cover Story
Banks club together to turn their notes green, The Age, 22 June 2003
Nikkei Financial Daily, 11 June 2003 (in Japanese - PDF)
 Banks' green pledge earns mixed response, swissinfo, 10 June 2003
Greening the banks, The Economist, 7-13 June 2003
Leading banks sign up to project finance principles, Environmental Finance, 6 June 2003
Bancos adotam princνpios de responsabilidade social, Valor Econτmico, 5 June 2003 (in Portuguese)
Zehn Banken werden zu Umweltschόtzern, Die Tageszeitung, 5 June 2003 (in German)
 Major Banks Endorse Equator Principles, The Peninsula, Qatar, 5 June 2003
The 'Equator Principles' adopted by leading banks, The Times of India, 5 June 2003
Westpac's principles, Australian Financial Review, 5 June 2003
 Loan rules with an eye on nature, International Herald Tribune, 5 June 2003
10 global banks endorse socially responsible "Equator Principles", Agence France Presse, 5 June 2003
"THE FLIP SIDE", CNN, 4 June 2003 (transcript)
 IFC Head's Remarks at Equator Principles Press Conference, 4 June 2003
Banks sign up for responsible lending accord, Financial Times, 4 June 2003
Banks Accept Environmental Rules, The Wall Street Journal, 4 June 2003
Banks in drive for project principles, Financial Times, 9 April 2003
Four banks adopt IFC agreement, Financial Times, 7 April 2003
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Balancing economic growth and environmental-social responsibility
By Charles O. Prince
Just a few years ago, you would have been hard-pressed to find a banker and an environmental activist in the same room -- much less agreeing on issues vital to the security and sustainability of our globe. Today you will find both. People, profitability and the planet have been linked by capital that has financed much-needed infrastructure in developing countries but also occasionally threatened fragile ecosystems and sometimes fragile societies.
Just last year, Citigroup met with a number of environmental activists who were interested in our effort to balance strong economic growth and environmental and social responsibility. Specifically, they wanted to know how we were implementing the Equator Principles, voluntary guidelines for financial institutions to manage environmental and social risk in financing development projects. I spoke, and they listened. They spoke, and I listened. We certainly did not agree on every item, but sitting around the same table with Rainforest Action Network and Friends of the Earth signified great progress.
As one of the original 10 financial institutions that led the development of the Equator Principles in 2003, we've enjoyed a unique dialogue with environmental activists, our peers and global organizations such as the World Bank's International Finance Corp. (IFC) that influenced the Equator Principles.
Three years later, we're heralding a new era: Citigroup, along with more than 40 members of the Equator Principles Financial Institutions (EPFI) network, is updating these principles to reflect new IFC standards and our own learning. The revised Equator Principles are more robust and demonstrate the EPFI network's maturity to tackle complex issues in a short period of time; they more fully incorporate social issues such as labor standards and reflect greater consultation with local communities and indigenous peoples.The fact that fierce competitors work closely together on these sustainability issues is a feat in itself. But when good people share a vision for the future, all things are possible.
As we look to that future, Citigroup is committed to balancing robust economic growth and environmental and social responsibility.
Our success will be measured not only by our financial results, but also by the impact we have on the communities we serve. To make sure we have a positive impact, we will work closely with our clients to implement these important projects. In fact, I believe the Equator Principles provide the financial services industry with a robust framework in which to do more business, not less.
At Citigroup, these principles have informed and influenced the establishment of a market-leading environmental and social risk management policy. We will continue to listen and learn from a wide range of voices who are helping to shape and influence our vision for a financial services industry that understands and promotes the business case for environmental and social sustainability.
Charles Prince is chairman and CEO of Citigroup, Inc.
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Official Adopters
ABN AMRO Bank N.V. EPFI
Absa Bank Limited EPFI
Access Bank EPFI
ANZ EPFI
Arab African International Bank EPFI
ASN Bank NV EPFI
Banco Bradesco EPFI
Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay EPFI
Banco do Brasil EPFI
Banco Galicia EPFI
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Bancolombia S.A. EPFI
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Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ EPFI
Barclays plc EPFI
BBVA EPFI
BES Group EPFI
BMCE Bank EPFI
BMO Financial Group EPFI
BNP Paribas EPFI
Caixa Econτmica Federal EPFI
Caja Navarra EPFI
Crιdit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank EPFI
CIBC EPFI
CIFI EPFI
Citigroup Inc. EPFI
CORPBANCA EPFI
Credit Suisse Group EPFI
Dexia Group EPFI
DnB Nor EPFI
EFIC EPFI
EKF EPFI
Eksportfinans ASA EPFI
Export Development Canada EPFI
FirstRand Bank Ltd EPFI
FMO EPFI
Fortis Bank NV/SA EPFI
HSBC Group EPFI
Industrial Bank Co., Ltd EPFI
ING Group EPFI
Intesa Sanpaolo EPFI
Itau Unibanco S/A EPFI
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KBC EPFI
KfW IPEX-Bank EPFI
la Caixa EPFI
Lloyds Banking Group Plc EPFI
Manulife EPFI
Mizuho Corporate Bank EPFI
Millennium bcp EPFI
National Australia Bank EPFI
Nordea EPFI
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RBC EPFI
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Societe Generale EPFI
Standard Bank Group EPFI
Standard Chartered Bank EPFI
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TD Bank Financial Group EPFI
The Royal Bank of Scotland EPFI
UniCredit Bank AG EPFI
Wells Fargo & Company Associate
WestLB AG EPFI
Westpac Banking Corporation EPFI
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World Bank/IFC Links
World Bank Guidelines and Criteria Referenced in the Equator Principles
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