DZ Bank is the thirth largest bank in Germany by assets, and acts as the central banking institution for more than 900 cooperative banks. It is part of the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken co-operative network, one of Germany's largest private sector financial institutions. In this network DZ Bank functions as a central institution. The DZ Bank Group includes DVB Bank, a transportation finance bank; Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall, a building society; DG HYP, a provider of real estate finance; DZ PRIVATBANK Gruppe; R+V Versicherung, an insurance company; TeamBank, a provider of consumer finance; Union Investment Group, an asset management company; VR LEASING; and other institutions. In January 2013 DZ Bank signed up to the Equator Principles, and is profiled as part of BankTrack's Equator Principles Track and Chase project.

Voluntary initiatives

• Carbon Disclosure Project
• Equator Principles
• German Sustainability Code
• Global Reporting Initiative
• Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB)
• United Nations Global Compact