HBL, Led by President & CEO Muhammad Nassir Salim, Unveils Third Sustainability Report, Reinforcing Commitment to United Nation’s SDGs & ESG Principles

HBL, Pakistan’s leading bank, transparently reflects its enduring commitment to a better tomorrow through its third Impact & Sustainability Report in a high-level meeting with key figures who are steering sustainability from the highest levels of management. Muhammad Nassir Salim, President & CEO – HBL & Maya Inayat Ismail, Chairperson Sustainability Forum – HBL, put forth a testament to the Bank’s pledge to weave sustainability into the heart of its business and operations. The speaker’s narrative unfolded a ray of hope and a sense of responsibility—a story of how HBL, as a financial services group, is striving to uplift the nation’s economy while embracing the needs of its people, especially those in underserved communities. The CEO emphasizes the devastating impact of the floods on Pakistan’s economy and particularly on the agricultural sector, which heavily depends on farming communities. He said: “The agriculture sector is the lifeblood of so many farming communities; if we fail to act now, we risk the very foundation of our economy for the future.” The sustainability report articulates the Bank’s integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into its operations, aligning with global frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) by using Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) as its core reporting principle. The report outlines HBL’s commitment to economic sustainability through initiatives to enhance financial inclusion for marginalized groups, especially women, rural populations, and small businesses. This includes expanding digital services like HBL Konnect and mobile banking and supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which are crucial to the economy. On the environmental front, HBL is financing renewable energy projects and promoting green financing alongside efforts to reduce its own carbon footprint and conducting environmental risk assessments. In terms of social sustainability, HBL Foundation is heavily invested in community development, focusing primarily on education and health programs for underserved communities and the Bank is directly empowering women through specialized financial products and gender-diversity initiatives. The report also highlights HBL’s efforts for financial inclusion of women, reflecting on over 5 million women customers. Initiatives like HBL Nisa are designed to provide women with customized financial solutions tailored as per their needs. The report also dives deep into  HBL Konnect and all that the Bank achieves through its digital infrastructure development, having 23% women Konnect customers. Employee welfare is a key focus for the Bank, for which it ensures implementing the right policies for diversity, training, and a balanced work-life environment for all. HBL  has also trained 899 employees in environmental and Social Risk Management as part of the climate action program. HBL’s commitment to ethical practices, robust risk management, and data security is also emphasized, projecting the Bank’s vision to enhance its sustainability impact by scaling up green financing and increasing digital financial inclusion. Looking to the future, HBL plans to continue its partnership with global organizations to meet sustainability goals and enhance community and economic contributions through initiatives that support public-private partnerships and financial inclusion. The report spotlights that the Bank has been actively engaged in forming local and international partnerships and engages with associations, councils, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and government bodies to work collectively towards the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Some of the more prominent ones are as follows: In alignment with its sustainability goals, HBL has defined a “6 Point Business Agenda” to further enhance its operational and strategic framework: Maya Inayat Ismail, Chairperson Sustainability Forum – HBL, added: “What we’re doing in terms of impact is improving the quality of life through our financial inclusion efforts, which has also expanded our customer base significantly since 2018. This is central to the mandate from ACCESS and the Heart Development Network Institutions. Additionally, our commitment is reflected in the growth from a 12.5 million customer base to now 37 million customers, showing how deeply we’re influencing financial inclusion. The HBL Foundation, funded with 1.5% of our bottom-line profit, has distributed significant contributions primarily towards education and health, impacting over 10 million lives in the last decade.” Muhammad Nassir Salim, President & CEO – HBL, emphasized the bank’s integrated approach to sustainability: “HBL’s dedication to sustainable practices is evident not only in our daily operations but also in comprehensive strategies like our cross-functional Sustainability Forum. This commitment is also manifest in our efforts to meet the AKDN’s Net Zero target by 2030, with initiatives like solarizing our premises and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure.” This HBL sustainability report undoubtedly provides detailed insight into HBL’s ongoing efforts and future plans in sustainable banking, reaffirming its role as a leader in aligning business success with broader societal and environmental objectives.