ICBC is a joint-stock commercial bank based in the People's Republic of China. Founded in 1984, ICBC was the world's biggest bank as of March 2009. ICBC's most important overseas strategic investor is Goldman Sachs.
ICBC has expanded its operations outside of China through mergers and acquisitions, as well as registering branch offices in foreign countries. In 2007, ICBC acquired PT. Bank Indonesia and Heng Seng bank, as well as a 20% stake in Standard Bank of South Africa. It also set up an office in Russia. At the end of 2007, the Bank had operations in 13 countries and regions, with 112 branches and outlets abroad, and had established correspondent bank relationships with 1,349 foreign banks in 122 countries and regions.
In 2008, ICBC earned nearly US$14 billion through the third quarter. It obtained permission to open branch offices in Dubai, Doha and Sydney. It also has a branch office in New York City.
ownership
listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Shanghai Stock Exchange
headquarters
55# Fuxingmenmei Street, Xicheng District
100032 Beijing
China
position top 1000 the Banker
In million US$. Ranking according to Tier 1 capital, as per definition Bank of International Settlements (BIS)
The CDP impels organisations to record their carbon footprint in daily activities. Encouraging enterprises to calculate and disclose their carbon impact, this initiative highlights the challenge for financial institutions to determine exactly how much carbon output can be attributed to financing.
Voluntary framework to guide the finance sector in tackling the challenge of climate change. They address the management of operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and provide direction on managing climate change in research activities; asset management; retail banking; insurance & re-insurance; corporate banking; investment banking & markets; project finance.
The EPs are a set of guidelines, based upon the Performance Standards and guidelines from the IFC, the World Bank's private sector lending arm for private banks to asesses and mitigate risks in project finance. Banks use the Principles to guide internal operating procedures for transaction for specific projects. Although the EPs are an important step to raise overall standards of financiers and projects in the developing world, they currently fall short on transparency and governance requirements.
The verification and full publication of company payments and government revenues from oil, gas and mining is supported by the EITI. Financial institutions can participate and encourage resource-rich countries to support the initiative that aims to defeat poverty, corruption and conflict caused by weak transparency and accountability.
As the name suggests, the GRI aims to standardise good practice in transparency. GRI provides companies with guidelines to organise their annual report with reporting indices and standards addressing environmental, social and economic issues that business ought to address when telling the world about its performance.
The UN Global Compact is a set of ten principles that companies may sign voluntarily. Signatories promise to avoid complicity in human rights violations, adhere to labour standards, protect the environment and avoid corruption. The G8 countries urge companies to participate in this initiative, and with over 2900 companies signing up, the Global Compact has momentum. A voluntary and network based framework, the Global Compact actively promotes peer review and stakeholder participation.
UNEP is the 'voice of the environment' for the United Nations system, promoting international cooperation in the field of the environment. Issues concerning the financial community are addressed by the UNEP Finance Initiative which promotes investment in clean and renewable energy by financial institutions and other investors. Financial insititutions wishing to join must sign one of two Statements (for financial institutions and a separate one for the insurance industry).
UNPRI is a set of six principles direct institutional investors may adopt to consider environmental, social and corporate governance issues when investing. Voluntary and aspirational in nature, UNPRI has since its inception in 2006 attracted 200 signatories, representing US$8 trillion worth of investments.
Since the turn of the century a group of twelve banks known as the Wolfsberg Group have collaborated to improve ethical standards. The principles provide guidance on money laundering, corruption and the financing of terrorism. They have been produced to address deficiencies in areas 'yet to be fully articulated by lawmakers or regulators'.
General banktrack reaction on policies Industrial Commercial Bank of China
The ICBC Social Responsibility
Report 2008 states that "we intensified support for energy efficient and
environmentally friendly areas by further promoting "green credit"
and strictly controlling loans to energy- and pollution-intensive sectors."
Furthermore, ICBC says it requires clients to comply with corporate
environmental protection laws as a prerequisite for loans; developed
industry-specific policy measures for energy- and pollution-intensive sectors;
and implemented a system for managing environmental information of corporate
clients. This policy is
based on the Green Credit Policy directiveput forth by the Chinese Government in July
2007. Information about the
content and results of this green credit policy is not publicly available. As
such, it can only be scored with a zero.
agriculture
0
1
2
3
4
5
arms industry and trade
0
1
2
3
4
5
fisheries
0
1
2
3
4
5
forestry
0
1
2
3
4
5
mining
0
1
2
3
4
5
oil and gas
0
1
2
3
4
5
power generation
0
1
2
3
4
5
biodiversity
0
1
2
3
4
5
climate change
0
1
2
3
4
5
corruption
0
1
2
3
4
5
human rights
0
1
2
3
4
5
indigenous peoples
0
1
2
3
4
5
labour
0
1
2
3
4
5
operation in conflict zones
0
1
2
3
4
5
taxation
0
1
2
3
4
5
toxics
0
1
2
3
4
5
accountability
0
1
2
3
4
5
transparency
0
1
2
3
4
5
headquarters
55# Fuxingmenmei Street, Xicheng District
100032 Beijing
China
position top 1000 the Banker
In million US$. Ranking according to Tier 1 capital, as per definition Bank of International Settlements (BIS)
On October 5th, 2004 an official agreement was signed between the Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) and Sterlite Industries, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources plc, for the…
The Omo River is a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of indigenous people in southwest Ethiopia and northern Kenya. In the Lower Omo Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site,…
The ‘Shwe' (meaning ‘golden' in Burmese) projects entail exploitation of underwater natural gas deposits off the coast of western Burma's Arakan State and dual…
Located in the mountainous Piura region of Northern Peru along the border with Ecuardor, the Rio Blanco mine is a 6,473 hectare (about 16,000 acres) copper and molybdenum…
BankTrack has identified controversial issues
with the companies listed below that require attention from Industrial Commercial Bank of China.
Asia Pulp and Paper
About Asia Pulp & Paper is one of the biggest pulp & paper producers in Asia, with operations in Indonesia and southern China. It's total pulp production capacity…
Vedanta Resources is a mining company. It produces aluminum, copper, lead and zinc. Vedanta has a strong position in India, where its founder Anil Agarwal was born, but is…
Article on the need for greater transparency in the implementation of China's Green Credit Policy.
http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/3740-Credit-where-it-s-due-1-
Article about the need for environmental and social standards in the overseas investments of Chinese financiers.
http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/3742-Credit-where-it-s-due-2-
