On August 21, 2018, the 2018 China Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Summit Forum “Looking Forward to the Future—Pioneers of Responsibility” was held the China Business Journal in Beijing. Because of its successful practice and experience in sustainable development, IB won the “Sustainable Development Demonstration Enterprise Award” in the 2018 CSR Competitiveness—China CSR Selection activity, becoming the only bank in the Chinese banking industry to have won this award.

Since its inception 12 years ago, the China CSR Summit Forum has been witnessing the growth of Chinese enterprises, who aims at focusing on the CSR practice, exploring the CSR development path and promoting the sound CSR development in China.

The year of 2018, the 30th anniversary of IB’s establishment, was also the 10th year that it adopted the Equator Principles. Guided by the sustainable development concept of “integrating righteousness with profitability”, IB has explored a differentiated development model from “Green” to “Gold”. In the past ten years, it has realized the first Equator Principles project, the first voluntary application of Equator Principle project, the first mortgage loan on emission rights, the first carbon asset pledge loan, the first low-carbon-themed credit card, the first green credit asset-backed securities and the first green finance bond. IB has established and improved a collectivized, multi-level and comprehensive green finance product and service system, and establish a distinctive green finance brand. By the end of June 2018, IB had provided more than 15,000 enterprises with the financing of green finance for over RMB 1.5 trillion. The projects supported could save 29.51 million tons of standard coal and 408.9 million tons of water, reduce the emissions of 83.9 million tons of carbon dioxide and 3.89 million tons of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and comprehensively treat 45.06 million tons of solid waste in China per year. During the said period, IB has judged the applicability of the Equator Principles in a total of 1,036 projects, of which 364 projects applied the Equator Principles, involving a total investment of RMB 1,506 billion.

While vigorously developing green finance, IB also pays attention to the different needs of stakeholders, protects the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, actively participates in public interest and charity events, helps and supports the vulnerable groups, sets up a leading group for financial poverty alleviation, and establishes an Inclusive Finance Department. It makes full use of the functional advantages and influence of commercial banks in China’s economic and social development, and continuously expands the extension and connotation of social responsibility. IB adapts to the trend of an aging society, has cared for the elderly and launched the first pension financial service scheme “Safe and Happy Life” in China. By the end of June 2018, the comprehensive financial assets of “Safe and Happy Life” customers had exceeded RMB 810 billion, serving more than 13 million elderly customers. In order to better meet the financial needs of the “agriculture, countryside and farmers” as well as small and micro enterprises and fill the blind spot of financial services, IB relies on the first “Bank-Bank Platform” model to actively promote resource sharing, mutual benefit and win-win results among small and medium-sized financial institutions, and expands modern financial services to more second-and third-tier cities and rural areas through technology and business outputs. By the end of June 2018, IB’s Bank-Bank Platform had signed 1,382 contracts with small and medium-sized financial institutions, among which 1,079 had been online.

Meanwhile, IB has vigorously promoted ecological poverty alleviation, supported the realization of green development in poor areas, and spared no effort in targeted poverty alleviation and social welfare. Its scale of loans related to the “agriculture, countryside and farmers” has exceeded RMB 100 billion, and the balance of personal loans granted to the registered population in poverty with registered files and cards exceeded RMB 3.251 billion. IB invested assistance and support funds in national poverty-stricken counties such as Zhenghe County, of Fujian Province., sent core staff to help farmers in the poor villages at fixed points, and donated to support students, cultural and educational events, including the support to the poor students of more than 5,500 persons/times. In the past five years, IB has donated accumulatively more than RMB 200 million for public interest and charity purpose   

The IB’s efforts of practicing social responsibility and promoting sustainable development have been recognized by the authorities one after another. In July 2018, IB won such honors as the “Best Social Responsibility Manager Award of the Year”, “Best Green Finance Award of the Year” and “Best Social Responsibility Special Contribution Network Award of the Year” by the China Banking Association in Xiong’an of Hebei Province. So far, IB has won the Social Responsibility Award issued by the China Banking Association for eight consecutive years.