Sustainability and regionality have been part of the Volksbanks’ business model for more than 170 years. Our cooperative identity and sustainability values are distinguishing features of VOLKSBANK WIEN AG. And it is precisely in these turbulent times that we deliberately choose to remain a regional bank. In this way, VOLKSBANK WIEN AG supports the long-term economic success of its customers in the region. The core elements of the activities of VOLKSBANK WIEN AG are trust, customer focus and regionality, making it a “relationship bank” in the truest sense of the word: from the region for the region.
In current booklets, the Volksbanks and the ÖGV (Austrian Federation of Cooperatives) provide information on all aspects of sustainable business management to SMEs and cooperatives, showing them ways to act sustainably and explaining what should be considered in this context.
Sustainability overview
Download the booklets “So geht Nachhaltigkeit für KMU und Genossenschaften” (How to make sustainability work for SMEs and cooperatives) here.
The German sustainability report for the financial year 2023 was published separately from the annual report on 28 March 2024, was prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards (option “in accordance with”) and sets out concepts, results and risks relating to the following topics:
The Volksbanks were founded as cooperatives over 170 years ago. At that time, small businesses, craftsmen and farmers, in particular, had hardly any access to banks and thus to capital that was essential for survival. The solution was to help people help themselves by voluntarily joining forces and supporting each other. True to the motto “Many little forces unite to make one big force”, under which the first cooperative banks were founded.
Cooperatives are sustainable because they think and operate with a long-term perspective, and with a mission to benefit their members without being driven by short-term shareholder value. They are built on proximity and personal contact and are deeply rooted in the region and among the people who live there. Hence, they strengthen regional economic cycles – Volksbanks financing local SMEs, for example. Regionality and sustainability are therefore firmly anchored in the Volksbanks’ DNA.
At VOLKSBANK WIEN AG, the focus is on customers, partners and employees. We want to act in a responsible, sustainable, entrepreneurial, fast and flexible way. We respect human rights and disapprove of any form of discrimination. Anti-corruption measures are of high priority at VOLKSBANK WIEN AG. These basic principles are set down in our Code of Conduct and are honoured by all our employees.
Sustainable development is equivalent to future viability. It means adapting to significant social, ecological and economic trends already today. Hence, VOLKSBANK WIEN AG is convinced that acting in a sustainable way is associated in the long run with economic success.
As a fixed component of the cooperative Association of Volksbanks sustainability management is implemented in the regional structures. Responsibility for the region and its people is of high strategic priority, forming the basis of the future success of the “relationship bank”.
In 2018, VOLKSBANK WIEN AG joined the United Nations Global Compact. By committing to the 10 principles of the UN, the bank emphasizes the importance of corporate responsibility and sustainability within the scope of its business activities.
VOLKSBANK WIEN AG started publishing sustainability reports in line with the criteria of the Austrian Sustainability and Diversity Improvement Act (NaDiVeG) in financial year 2017. A stakeholder survey using an online questionnaire was performed and provided – together with a materiality analysis derived from this survey – the basis of the report.
The sustainability report 2023 is based on the results of a materiality analysis carried out in 2021. In preparation for the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards), the materiality analysis was revised in 2023 and will be implemented beginning the 2024 financial year. The main topics of the analysis were assigned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. Reporting was further professionalised in the 2023 financial year, the Green Asset Ratio (GAR) was reported for the first time and the extensive quantitative and qualitative taxonomy reporting forms were applied.
Compared to the previous year, scope 1 and 2 emissions decreased by 20% (location based) and by 35% (market based) in 2023.
The following key topics that sustainably ensure the future viability of VOLKSBANK WIEN AG were defined in the run-up to the sustainability report and are set out in greater detail in the individual chapters of the sustainability report:
Regionality
VOLKSBANK WIEN AG operates almost exclusively in its catchment area, the share of financings within the region is 98.2%. There are no foreign shareholders. The bank’s focus is on being the sustainable relationship bank for customers in the region, thus ensuring short distances. This business model with its regional focus reduces the risk of negative effects on climate and environment and on other ESG aspects, for example, due to market circumstances and the legal framework in Austria. The core of VOLKSBANK WIEN AG’s sales activities is its network of retail branches.
Sustainable investment, sustainable financing
One of VOLKSBANK WIEN AG’s greatest levers for the transformation towards a sustainable economy lies in its products and services. Sustainable products, such as sustainable funds or the financing of housing projects with high energy efficiency that also take social aspects into account, can reduce negative impacts on the climate and environment. In 2023, sustainable funds accounted for 45% of total fund sales.
Customer satisfaction
Good customer advisory service and ease of use in the digital financial world are the foundations for retaining customers in the long term and for ensuring positive user experiences for Volksbanks’ customers. It therefore is important to VOLKSBANK WIEN AG to receive regular feedback from its customers and/or external experts on the products and services offered.
Digitisation
Digitisation measures support the business model with digital products and services based on an opti-channel system. A consistent focus on expanding excellent, digitally supported advisory services and creating an outstanding opti-channel customer experience are key success factors. Customer processes are optimised and thus enable customers to save time.
In 2022, the data centre “Allgemeines Rechenzentrum GmbH” was sold to Accenture (ACN) - one of the globally leading providers of IT services - in order to ensure the long-term security and high quality standards of a modern, secure and affordable IT landscape. ACN publishes sustainability reports, is certified in accordance with the Environmental Management System ISO 14001 and has passed a due diligence audit. Like all outsourced services of VOLKSBANK WIEN AG, ACN’s sustainability has been assessed on the basis of a defined standardised process.
Employee health and safety
VOLKSBANK WIEN AG is convinced that the compatibility of professional and private life is decisive for the quality of life and health of its employees. HR management sets itself the strategic goal of making this compatibility possible. A healthy and successful work-life balance is facilitated by flexible working hours and job models.
Training and education
For VOLKSBANKG WIEN AG, training is an essential component of employee development and retention and of ensuring and promoting in the employees’ knowledge and skills required to implement the “relationship bank of the future” strategy throughout the Association. In this context, the services of Volksbanks’ own training institution (Volksbank Akademie) are used. Volksbank Akademie provides needs-oriented training courses based on an optimal coordination between executives, experts and HR management.
Employee satisfaction
VOLKSBANK WIEN AG relies on mutual trust through partnership which includes listening to, and systematically using, employee feedback to promote development of the organisation and of the executives. This is operationalised in the form of employee surveys and appraisal interviews.
Diversity and equal opportunities
VOLKSBANK WIEN AG has been committed to a fair and positive working environment for all employees for years, with a strong focus on diversity and inclusion. First and foremost, all employees are valued and treated equally. The aim of “living diversity” is to create an organisational culture where no one is disadvantaged and everyone is able to develop and unfold their potentials. In the Code of Conduct, to which all employees are committed, VOLKSBANK WIEN AG states that it expressly respects human rights and rejects any form of discrimination.
Energy and climate
Basically, the banking business itself causes much less environmental stress than, for instance, production plants. Nevertheless, VOLKSBANK WIEN AG makes a contribution to climate and environmental protection in terms of consumption of energy, heat, power and paper and through reduction of waste.
54% of the vehicle fleet are electric cars and 100% of the headquarter’s office space is connected to district heating. In addition, VOLKSBANK WIEN AG has no market-based emissions in the area of electricity, as electricity used at the headquarter has been fully switched to green electricity in 2022 and 100% of the purchased electricity now comes from renewable energy sources.
Data protection and security
Banking transactions are a matter of trust. We consider the trust of our customers in the Volksbank brand as an obligation to pursue a diligent and responsible approach to the topic of data protection and security, in order to avoid any violation of our customers’ personal rights.
Human rights
We respect human rights and disapprove of any form of discrimination. The fight against corruption is of high priority at VOLKSBANK WIEN AG. These basic principles are set down in the Code of Conduct and complied with by all our employees.
In order to be able to deal with the topic of human rights in a more structured way, a human rights policy was adopted by the Management Board in 2023.
Professional ethics and compliance
Actively exemplifying the values and committing to modern compliance is a task for the Executive Board and a permanent management mandate. In 2022, the set of trainings on the Code of Conduct was expanded to include a module on diversity and gender equality, and a module on safeguarding human rights was added in 2023. 98.6% of those employees who were required to attend training on the Code of Conduct completed it in 2023. The Code of Conduct is publicly available on the website of VOLKSBANK WIEN AG.
A spirit of partnership is central to the activities of VOLKSBANK WIEN AG – with customers, among employees, and with product suppliers. Accordingly, within the scope of the sustainability report, the product supply chain of VOLKSBANK WIEN AG was analysed and the cooperation with product partners as well as their activities in the sphere of sustainability management were examined.
The Volksbanks have been working together with institutions of “Genossenschaftliche FinanzGruppe Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken” for many years. The cooperation was further reinforced through the sale of Volksbank Invest KAG to Union Investment Services Bank AG in 2015, and in the area of consumer financing, Volksbanks are cooperating successfully with TeamBank. In 2023, TeamBank’s “der faire Credit” received TÜV AUSTRIA’s award for high levels of service quality for the thirteenth time in a row.
The successful cooperation with the product partners ERGO, TeamBank and Union Investment was continued in 2023. In the sphere of funds, the eighth year of cooperation with Union Investment was satisfactory, demand for the excellent products of the German investment company has increased.
Distinguished as Service Champion once again, ERGO Versicherung AG has been the insurance partner of VOLKSBANK WIEN AG since 1985. The focus is on insurance solutions for private customers who are offered high-quality products – from comprehensive life insurance policies up to special property and accident insurance contracts.
Union Investment has been one of Germany’s largest fund providers since 1956, in 2016 it started its cooperation with the Association of Volksbanks in Austria.
At the end of December 2023, assets under management of Union Investment reached euro 128.7 billion. Union Investment is the market leader in sustainable investments in Germany, independent experts confirm that sustainability is one of Union Investment’s core competences:
The United Nations-backed PRI (Principles for Responsible Investment) organisation awarded Union Investment the top A+ rating for its overarching approach to embedding responsible investment activities.
At the German Fund Champions 2022 – a new award for investment companies offering a broad range of funds in Germany – Union Investment came out on top in the “ESG/Sustainability” category for the third time in a row. In cooperation with finanzen.net, the fund experts of f-fex AG have developed a new concept for the quality assessment of investment companies in five categories. In each of the categories: equities, bonds, mixed funds and ESG/sustainability, 20 companies compete against each other. Ten providers are competing in the ETF category.
UniRak Nachhaltig A, UniRak Nachhaltig Konservativ and UniNachhaltig Aktien Global are sustainability funds offered in Austria by Union Investment which are certified with the Austrian eco-label. The Austrian eco-label was awarded by the Federal Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism because, in addition to economic criteria, ecological and social criteria are also taken into account in the selection of shares, bonds, etc. The eco-label guarantees that these criteria and their implementation are suitable for selecting appropriate shares, bonds or other forms of investment. This was verified by independent entities. The award of the eco-label is no economic valuation and does not allow any conclusions to be drawn regarding the future performance of the investment product.
In 2015, the member states of the United Nations adopted 17 goals for sustainable development: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals address the topic of sustainability at an economic, social and ecological level. On 1 January 2016, the SDGs entered into force for a term of 15 years. The political sphere, civil society and the economy are all meant to cooperate to implement the SDGs, and accordingly they are of relevance to Volksbank Wien AG as well. Based on the materiality analysis updated in 2021, VOLKSBANK WIEN AG has allocated its material topics to specific SDGs. The SDGs most relevant to VOLKSBANK WIEN AG are:
Good health and well-being Promoting a healthy life and well-being for all people of all ages.
Quality education
To guarantee inclusive, high-quality, equal education, and enhance options of lifelong learning for all.
Gender equality To achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls for self-determination.
Decent work and economic growth To promote stable, sustainable economic growth with a broad impact, full employment and decent work for all.
Industry, innovation and infrastructure To build up a resilient infrastructure, encourage sustainable industrialisation with a broad impact, and to support innovations.
Sustainable cities and communities To organise cities and communities with a view to inclusion, safety, resilience and sustainability.
Climate action Take immediate action to combat climate change and its impacts.
Sustainalytics - one of the leading ESG rating agencies - assessed VOLKSBANK WIEN AG and has in March 2022 classified the ESG risk as low (ESG Risk Rating Score: 17.4)
In the first half of 2023, Sustainalytics reassessed the ESG risk which resulted in an improvement of VOLKSBANK WIEN's ESG Risk Rating Score to 10.2
For VOLKSBANK WIEN AG, sustainability also means to set priorities together with others, both internally and externally. By specifically selecting the organisations it joins, the bank demonstrates its dedication and commitment. Selected, relevant memberships are also described in the sustainability report.
UNGC
United Nations Global Compact
The UN Global Compact is the world’s largest initiative in the sphere of Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainable development. The aim of this truly global movement originating from the spheres of politics, the economy and civil society is for globalisation to become more socially minded and more ecological. The 10 universal principles and the support of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations are considered key elements of the UN Global Compact.
respACT
austrian business council for sustainable development
VOLKSBANK WIEN AG stands for acting on the basis of social responsibility within its immediate environment. respACT supports its member organisations in achieving ecological and social objectives in an economic way.
Charta der Vielfalt
For diversity in the world of work
By signing this “Charta of Diversity”, Volksbank sets a clear signal for actual diversity and respect within the company and commits to actively appreciating all those individuals that Volksbank is in contact with – with positive effects on society and the economy in Austria. Volksbank (VOLKSBANK WIEN AG as successor institution) has been a signatory of the Charta der Vielfalt since 2010.
International Confederation of Volksbanks
Confédération Internationale des Banques Populaires (CIBP)
Confédération Internationale des Banques Populaires (CIBP), the international confederation of cooperative banks, is a special interest group consisting of banks, financial institutions and banking associations whose business model is based on cooperative principles and values.
Oikocredit Austria
OIKOCREDIT Investing in People
Oikocredit is an international cooperative society that refinances microfinance institutions, cooperatives, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises in so-called developing countries. The capital required for the granting of credits in Africa, Latin America and Asia is currently provided by some 59,000 private individuals and organisations supporting the charitable organisation with minimum investments of euro 200. Oikocredit will grant loans irrespective of religion, culture, age or sex.
The Code of Conduct of VOLKSBANK WIEN AG is an essential component of our corporate culture. All employees of VOLKSBANK WIEN AG as well as the entire management are committed to this Code of Conduct.
VOLKSBANK WIEN AG has an influence on human rights through its role as employer and as user and provider of products and services, and proactively assumes this responsibility as part of its corporate duty of care. The bank considers a business model based on sustainability to be essential for a continued successful development in the future. Respect of human rights represents a core element of responsible corporate governance for VOLKSBANK WIEN AG.
You will find the disclosure of sustainability risks here.
Please click here for the sustainability reports of recent years.
Photos: Marko Mestrovic, PantherMedia/alphaspirit, istockphoto.com (ilyast), Robert Polster
