Scope 1 Emissions
2022 Communication on Progress
Belfius Bank SA
Published date
June 8, 2022
No. of questions
62
Supplemental files
Belfius_Whistleblowing_2018-EN.pdfCEO Statement
Governance
Policies and Responsibilities
1. Does the Board / highest governance body or most senior executive of the company:
2. Does the company have a publicly stated commitment regarding the following sustainability topics?
3. Does the company have in place a code of conduct regarding each of the following sustainability topics?
4. Has the company appointed an individual or group responsible for each of the following sustainability topics?
Optional commentConcerning Human Rights: each department within the company is responsible for the respect of human rights in their area of activity.5. Does the company have a formal structure(s) (such as a cross-functional committee) to address each of the following sustainability topics?
Prevention
6. Does the company have a process or processes to assess risk?
Optional commentBelfius scrupulously complies with all laws and regulations in force and respects the rules and practices prevalent in the financial sector. Belfius’ policy in this area is outlined in a Compliance Charter and Integrity Policy that allows Belfius to manage several potential risks, of which corruption. These include the following policies concerning specific risk situations: ● Anti-Fraud Policy ● Anti-Bribery Policy ● Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Policy6.1. During the assessment of risk, which business relationships are reviewed?
7. Does the company have a due diligence process through which it identifies, prevents, mitigates, and accounts for actual and potential negative impacts on sustainability topics?
7.1. During the due diligence process, which business relationships are reviewed?
Concerns and grievance mechanisms
8. Are there any processes through which members of the company’s workforce can raise concerns about the company’s conduct related to human rights, labour rights, environment, or anti-corruption?
8.1. Please provide additional detail regarding the process(es) the company has through which members of the company’s workforce can raise concerns about the company’s conduct.
9. Does the company provide or enable access to effective remedy to right holders / stakeholders where it has caused or contributed to the adverse impact?
Lessons
10. How does the company capture lessons regarding each of the following sustainability topics?
Executive Pay
11. Is executive pay linked to performance on one or more of the following sustainability topics?
Board Composition
12. Percentage of individuals within the company’s Board / highest governance body by:
13. Do you produce sustainability reporting according to:
Data Assurance
14. Is the information disclosed in this questionnaire assured by a third-party?
Human Rights
Materiality / Saliency
1. Which of the following has the company identified as material human rights issues connected with its operations and/or value chain, whether based on their salience (i.e., the most severe potential negative impacts on people) or another basis?
Commitment
2. Does the company have a policy commitment in relation to the following human rights issues?
Optional commentLink to Belfius' Privacy Charter: https://www.belfius.be/about-us/dam/corporate/corporate-social-responsibility/documents/policies-and-charters/en/Belfius-Privacy%20Charter_ENG_01-2021_def.pdf2.1. For each human rights policy, is it:
Prevention
3. In the course of the reporting period, has the company engaged with affected stakeholders or their legitimate representatives in relation to the following human rights issues?
4. What type of action has the company taken in the reporting period with the aim of preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with this human rights issue?
5. Who receives training for the following human rights issues?
6. How does the company assess progress in preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with the following human rights issues?
Response
7. During the reporting period, has the company been involved in providing or enabling remedy where it has caused or contributed to adverse impact associated with the following human rights issue(s)?
8. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the human rights principles, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
Redaction of Belfius own Human Rights Policy in 2021Labour
Commitment
1. Does the company have a policy commitment in relation to the following labour rights principles?
1.1. For each labour rights policy, is it:
Prevention
2. In the course of the reporting period, has the company engaged with affected stakeholders or their legitimate representatives in relation to the following labour rights issues?
Optional commentCollaboration with stakeholders conducted through worker's council as defined by Belgian Law, participation of diversity manager in various Belgian platforms on diversity and equality, Internal Service for Prevention and Protection at Work as defined by Belgian Law, consultation of a community of ‘Belfius changemakers’ as a stakeholder in the 2021 materiality analysis, and an annual engagement barometer for employees.3. What type of action has the company taken in the reporting period with the aim of preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with this labour rights issue?
Optional commentBelfius complies with Belgium's strict legal framework.4. Who receives training for the following labour rights issues?
5. How does the company assess progress in preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with the following labour rights issues?
Optional commentPlease note that for Belfius' own operations, Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, Forced labour and Child labour have not been issues for the past decades.Performance
6. What is the percentage of employees covered under collective bargaining agreements?
7. What is the percentage of employees in a trade union or other workers' organization?
8. In the course of the reporting period, what was the percentage of women in:
9. What was the average ratio of the basic salary and remuneration of women to men (comparing jobs of equal value) during the reporting period?
10. In the course of the reporting period, how frequently were workers injured (injuries per hour worked)?
Optional commentAt Belfius Bank & Insurance there were 18 accidents at the workplace and 15 accidents on the way to and from work over the course of 2021.11. In the course of the reporting period, what was the company’s incident rate?
Response and Reporting
12. In the course of the reporting period, has the company been involved in providing or enabling remedy where it has caused or contributed to the adverse impact associated with the following labour rights issues?
Optional commentComplementary to internal prevention services, the Employee Assistance Program provides free, confidential external assistance to employees and their families for any problem.13. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the labour rights principles, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
During the COVID crisis the Worker's council kept functioning and meetings of Internal Service for Prevention and Protection at Work were very frequent. The toolbox for lifelong learning was added too. On-line academies were launched, Regular polls and wellbeing action were ran. Diversity in management has been supported by hiring additional female (top) managers,...Environment
Commitment
1. Does the company have a formal policy on the following environmental topics?
1.1. For each environmental policy, is it:
Prevention
2. In the course of the reporting period, has the company engaged with affected stakeholders or their legitimate representatives in relation to the following environmental issues?
Optional commentClimate Action: Belfius is a member of the Belgian Alliance of Climate Action.3. What type of action has the company taken in the reporting period with the aim of preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with these environmental topics?
4. How does the company assess progress in preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with the following environmental topics?
5. In the course of the reporting period, has the company been involved in providing or enabling remedy for any actual impacts associated with the following environmental issue(s)?
Climate Action
6. What were the company’s gross global greenhouse gas emissions for the reporting period?
Scope 2 Emissions
Scope 3 Emissions
Optional commentScope 1 includes direct emissions related to the gas and oil heating of the Belfius Tower (Brussels), regional headquarters and salaried agencies, as well as fuel related to service vehicles, company cars and business trips made with private vehicles, including leasing. The improvement in the loss of refrigerant gases from buildings’ cooling systems can be ascribed to better data collection. Scope 2 covers emissions related to electricity consumed in central and regional buildings and employee branches. Since 2008, our electricity consumption has been fully covered by European guarantee of origin labels certifying that this energy is “green”. We continue to exclusively subscribe to this supply method. As in previous years, we also account for the indirect impact of green electricity (related to the production of solar panels, wind turbines, etc.) in scope 3. company cars, included in scope 1) and, to a lesser extent, paper consumables. Scope 3 also includes water consumption, waste and business travel. Since 2020, indirect emissions related to the production process of the resources we consume (gas, fuel oil, vehicles and electricity) and estimated emissions related to homeworking have also been added. From 2021 onwards, scope 3 also includes the carbon footprint of outsourced IT operational activities and the CO2 emissions of the independent Belfius branch network.7. What percentage of the company's revenue was invested in R&D of low-carbon products/services during this reporting period?
8. Has the organization acted to support climate change adaptation and resilience?
Optional commentBelfius has a product range to support customers in their climate mitigation and adaptation projects. Belfius offsets the Carbon emissions of its own operations by financing climate projects certified by either the Gold Standard or the Verified Carbon Standard in developing countries. - Drinking water in Rwanda (offsetting 9.2 thousand tonnes of CO2) - Wind farm in India (offsetting 9.2 thousand tonnes of CO2)Energy / Resource Use
9. Please report the company's renewable energy consumption as a percentage of total energy consumption in the reporting period.
Technology
10. What percent of the company's revenue came from environmentally friendly products / services during this reporting period?
Sector-specific Questions
11. Which sector(s) does the company operate in? If diversified, choose top 3 by revenue.
Overall Environment
21. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the environment principles, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
Belfius committed to the Science Based Target initiative and joined PCAF. Belfius reported on climate-related information following TCFD recommendations for the first time in 2021. Belfius accounted for additional elements in scope 3 Carbon Accounting for its own operations : outsourced IT operational activities and independent Belfius branch network. Belfius continuously seeks to reduce the carbon footprint of its own operations.Anti-corruption
Commitment
1. Does the company have an anti-corruption compliance programme?
2. Does your company have policies and recommendations for employees on how to act in case of doubt and/or in situations that may represent a conflict of interest, e.g. with regard to gifts and hospitality, donations, sponsorship, or interactions with public officials?
Prevention
3. Who receives training on anti-corruption and integrity?
3.1. How often is such training provided?
4. Does the company monitor its anti-corruption compliance programme?
Response and Reporting
5. Please report the company's total number and nature of incidents of corruption during the reporting year.
Optional commentIn 2021, our dedicated department identified one case whereby an employee was manipulated and coerced by an external organisation to carry out certain transactions. This incident, involving a non-management employee from an autonomous Belfius agency can, by its nature, be related to corruption. This case was detected at an early stage by the bank’s first-line internal control mechanism. The concerned client was fully compensated. No net loss is expected for Belfius.6. Within the reporting period, what measures has the company taken to address suspected incidents of corruption independently or in response to a dispute or investigation by a government regulator?
7. Does your company engage in Collective Action against corruption?
8. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the anti-corruption principle, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
Updated Sustainability charter for Suppliers.