ASN Bank’s Impact on Biodiversity

ASN Bank’s sustainability policy has three pillars: the climate, human rights and biodiversity. CREM has worked with the bank since 2014 on the formulation of its biodiversity policy and the development of long-term goals for this pillar. In 2017, the bank decided to become ‘biodiversity positive’ by 2030. This means that the combined impact of all of the bank’s investments must be positive by that time. ASN Bank is the first bank in the world to have set this goal.

Footprint calculation

In order to assess what is required to reach the goal and progress made towards it, the bank naturally needs to be able to measure its impact (its biodiversity footprint). CREM, working with PRé Consultants, supports the bank in doing so – this year we calculated the footprint of ASN Bank for the fourth year in a row. We also assessed how the bank can reduce it further and ultimately make a positive contribution to biodiversity. For this, CREM, along with PRé and ASN Bank, has developed a footprint methodology.

This approach has generated a lot of international interest. At the beginning of 2018, ASN Bank, ACTIAM (a Dutch asset management company), CDC Biodiversité (a French financial institute) and Finance in Motion (a German impact investor) began working together to come up with widely supported starting points for a footprint calculation. This collaboration has already led to the publication of a ‘common ground paper’, including an important contribution by CREM.

Positive impacts

CREM and PRé have now started an investigation into ways that investments with a positive impact on biodiversity can be included in the footprint calculation. They are not only looking at investments in nature conservation and restoration, but also at the effect of investments in better management practices and certification.

A detailed description of ASN Bank’s footprint methodology can be downloaded from ASN’s website and here. The common ground paper about the implementation of a footprint for financial institutions can be downloaded here.

For more information: Wijnand Broer