KBC, established in 1998 from a merger between two Belgian banks (the Kredietbank and CERA Bank) and the Belgian
insurance company ABB, is an integrated bancassurance group, catering
mainly to retail customers, small and medium-sized enterprises and
private banking clientele. It operates in its home
markets of Belgium and Central and Eastern Europe, where it specialises
in retail bancassurance and asset management activities, as well as
in the provision of services to businesses. The group is also active
in a selection of other countries in Europe in private banking and
services to businesses.
ownership
listed on Luxembourg Stock Exchange, NYSE Euronext
Publicly listed
headquarters
Havenlaan 2
1080 Brussels
Belgium
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'.
In the Canadian Boreal forest just downstream of the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains are the Canadian tar sands. The region contains some 2 trillion barrels of oil,…
Cluster munitions pose a serious threat to civilian populations during and after a conflict. Cluster munitions are designed to blanket a large area containing one or more…
The US$1.45 billion Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project, in the small Southeast Asia country of Laos, is supposed to generate revenue for the cash-strapped Lao government by exporting…
If built, the Theun-Hinboun Expansion Project would displace up to 4,800 people and effect another 48,441 people living downstream on project construction lands and in host…
BankTrack has identified controversial issues
with the companies listed below that require attention from KBC.
Alliant Techsystems
Alliant Techsystems (ATK) is the world's largest manufacturer of ammunition and a leading supplier of precision systems and electronic warfare. The company is also active…
Bankers on Tenterhooks - Climate change : co-funded by banks operating in Belgium
Jun 02, 2010 | Netwerk Vlaanderen
Report on investments of BNP Paribas, KBC, Dexia, Citibank, Deutsche Bank, ING and AXA in climate-threatening activities including new coal plants, oil extracted from tar sands, or the decimation of rain forests.
Apr 01, 2010 | Netwerk Vlaanderen, IKV PAX Christi
A short version of the 'Hall of Fame and runners-up'-document. Both taken from the report: "Worldwide Investments in Cluster Munitions; A Shared Responsibility" Updated April 2010.
Beleggers op hete kolen: Een kritische doorlichting van de klimaatfondsen op de Belgische markt (in Dutch)
May 01, 2008 | Netwerk Vlaanderen
Investors on hot coals: Banks that offer so-called sustainable climate funds are all too often hiding the reality from investors. Some of these funds include investments in nuclear power, agrofuels, the arms industry or companies that abuse human rights.
policy describes the principles and practices that KBC Group applies in order to act with integrity towards its shareholders and debt holders and as a responsible party on the capital markets
Letter to BankTrack as a response to BT letter of February 11, 2010
Mar 29, 2010 | Equator Principles Financial Insititutions, Citi
The first response ever to one of the letters BankTrack sent to the Equator Principles Financial Insititutions. It is a response to the BankTrack follow up letter after the meeting in Zuerich, February 4.
Aviva Imhof about International Rivers and BankTrack
May 19, 2010 - Video shot during the BankTrack annual meeting in Zuerich, January 2010.
Risky Business: the Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project
Mar 22, 2010 - The Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project, the largest dam in Laos, was hailed by many as they way to reduce poverty and demonstrate best practice in socially and environmentally responsible dam building, still the initial signs have not been promising...
G: Interview downstream Theun Hinboun river
Nov 12, 2009 - subtitled interview downstream Theun Hinboun river, May 2009, Laos
F: Interview village in project land
Nov 12, 2009 - subtitled interview village in project land, May 2009, Laos
E: Interview village 2 downstream Theun Hinboun river
Nov 12, 2009 - subtitled interview village 2 downstream Theun Hinboun river, May 2009, Laos
D: Interview village downstream Theun Hinboun river
Nov 12, 2009 - Subtitled interview village downstream Theun Hinboun river, May 2009, Laos
C: Interview Resettled village part 2
Nov 12, 2009 - Subtitled interview resettled village part 2, May 2009, Laos
H: Extra footage project site THXP
Nov 12, 2009 - Additional footage about project site THXP, May 2009, Laos
I: Extra footage THHP
Nov 12, 2009 - Additional footage about THHP, May 2009, Laos
J: Extra footage different uses of the river
Nov 12, 2009 - Additional footage about different uses of the river, May 2009, Laos
K: Extra footage the Theun Hinboun river
Nov 12, 2009 - Additional footage about the Theun Hinboun river, May 2009, Laos
L: Extra footage village life
Nov 12, 2009 - Additional footage about village life, May 2009, Laos
M: Extra footage fishing
Nov 12, 2009 - Additional footage about fishing, May 2009, Laos
N: Extra footage growing rice
Nov 12, 2009 - Additional footage about growing rice, May 2009, Laos
O: Extra footage processing rice
Nov 12, 2009 - Additional footage about processing rice, May 2009, Laos
B: Interview Resettled village part 1
Nov 12, 2009 - Subtitled interview resettled village part one, May 2009, Laos
A: Still waters, deep trouble; how Equator bank commitments sink in Lao dams
Nov 11, 2009 - This video shows how the Theun Hinboun Expansion Project in Laos is threatening the livelihoods of more than 50.000 local people.
headquarters
Havenlaan 2
1080 Brussels
Belgium
position top 1000 the Banker
In million US$. Ranking according to Tier 1 capital, as per definition Bank of International Settlements (BIS)
International website developed by BankTrack, CRBM, Les Amis de la Terre, Netwerk Vlaanderen, Platform, Setem and Urgewald.
Information in English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Spanish.
