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Managing the sustainability impacts of providing our products
and services is becoming an increasingly important complement
to managing financial and investment risk.
LENDING AND INVESTMENT
Our financing activities reflect the combined influences
of our business principles, risk assessment processes and
the needs of our customers. We seek to promote sustainable
development through our lending and investment by balancing
economic advancement with social and environmental considerations.
We assess a project's potential adverse social
or environmental impacts before deciding whether or not
to advance credit (see box: Sustainable Financing).
Sustainable Financing
When assessing whether to make a loan or investment,
Hang Seng adheres to sustainable risk
guidelines, which include, but are not limited to, the
following:
Chemical Industry Sector Guideline - Highlights
the international, regional and national standards
we conform to in lending to the chemical industry
and outlines how we will work with our customers towards
sustainable chemical manufacture
Forest Land and Forestry Products Sector Guideline
- Outlines how we will work with our customers to
promote sustainable forestry practices
Freshwater Infrastructure Sector Guideline
- Aims to ensure the consistency of our involvement
in freshwater infrastructure projects, particularly
from the standpoint of sustainable development
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There are some types of business that we will not engage
in, including financing weapons manufacture and sales, dealing
with countries that are subject to international sanctions,
or involvement in transactions that could be used to foster
racism, launder criminal earnings or evade tax.
EQUATOR PRINCIPLES
We support the Equator Principles, a voluntary code of conduct
that addresses the environmental and social issues that
arise in financing projects and provides a de facto global
standard that places sustainability at the core of economic
development.
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