The need for financial institutions to identify and pursue sustainability strategies integrated into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been mooted. This call was made at the 2019 edition of Access Bank’s Sustainability Awareness Week.
With the theme ‘Together For A Sustainable Future’, the week-long event which took place at the bank’s headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos also stressed on the need for establishments to measure their achievements and integrate them into their sustainability reporting process for a viable future.
Speaking at a session during the event, Head Sustainability, Access Bank, Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan said that Access Bank is totally committed to sustainability because of its belief that it is the right way to do business.
“We formalised this commitment about 11-years ago when we established our Standard Sustainability Function and ever since then, we have been going along on the journey. 5 years into our journey, we initiated the Legal Development of the Nigerian Sustainability Banking Principles which today is adopted by World Bank that operates with the Central Bank of Nigeria, so, on an annual basis we celebrate what we refer to as the Sustainability Awareness Week and bring onboard stakeholders to share experiences, share knowledge and hold our various stakeholders to go together on the sustainability journey,” she said.
She further stated that the bank’s employees volunteer in different projects ranging from school adoption, community health to safe water initiatives, amongst others. This, she said is to let everyone know that we have our individual roles to play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Also speaking, one of the panellists, Dr Tayo Taiwo, an environmental expert, stated that establishments and individuals all have a role to play in achieving sustainable development by engaging in economic activities that do not destroy our environment for us and for future generations.
“If we are doing a project and we are not thinking about climate change issues, then what we are doing is that we are creating more damage. Because economically, you will provide jobs, but when people you are providing jobs for spend more money on healthcare than they should, then already, you are not aligning to the sustainable development goals,” he said.
Dr Taiwo, who is also the MD of Xploits Consulting Limited further added that economic activities that promote child labour, environmental degradation and the likes do not enable sustainable development goals
Executive Director, HACEY, Ms Rhoda Robinson, also a member of the panel, said leading financial services companies should identify and measure their contributions to the SDGs, integrate their achievements into sustainability reporting processes and commission comprehensive external monitoring. Finally, fundamental concerns regarding the contradicting trends of sustainability and continuing economic growth.
Other participants at the event include; Manager, Future Wox, Ademulegun Olowojoba; Country Manager, G.B.C Health, Ochuko Keyamo-Onyige; CEO, Victory Bridge, Victor Okhai and m
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