Westpac Group has retained its position as the most sustainable bank globally in the 2017 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) Review published on September 7, 2017.

This marks the fourth year in a row and 10th time that Westpac has achieved the global banking sector leadership position, and the 16th year in a row that Westpac has been recognised as a global banking leader.

Westpac Group chief executive officer Brian Hartzer said Westpac’s continued recognition as a global leader in sustainability is testament to the strong culture around these issues at Westpac.

“To be recognised as the most sustainable bank globally in our 200th year of operation says a lot about how deeply committed we are to doing the right thing.

“In the last 12 months we’ve renewed and extended many of these commitments – with our updated Climate Change Action Plan and Reconciliation Action Plan, and our world-first Financial Inclusion Action Plan each setting ambitious targets in areas where we feel we can have a meaningful impact.

“Receiving external validation for the strength of our sustainability practices shows that we are on the right path.

“It is also a tribute to the incredible efforts of our 40,000 employees, who are committed to helping our customers and the community to create a better future,” he said.

This year, Westpac achieved a DJSI score of 94 per cent. In assessing Westpac’s performance, S&P Dow Jones Indices and RobecoSAM rated Westpac’s performance strongest in the following areas: corporate citizenship, business risks and opportunities, environmental and social reporting, climate strategy, anti-crime policy, materiality and labour practices. The DJSI RobecoSAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment is the most widely accepted global evaluation of how companies manage and perform across social, economic and environmental dimensions and has become the reference point in sustainability investing.

It assesses business management practices such as corporate governance, risk management, customer relations, human resources, corporate community investment, climate change mitigation and environmental performance.

Brett Hooker, general manager, Westpac Fiji said: “What a phenomenal achievement. So much of what we do in the Pacific contributes to this ranking.

“We don’t just contribute because of the way we have embedded our three sustainability strategy pillars – banking the unbanked, making women count and empowering through education – right across our business, but also because of the way we operate and strive to do the right thing every day.

“Our efforts to strengthen people and communities play a big part, including our sponsorship and community support programmes, the policies which protect and empower our customers and staff, and the role Westpac plays in Fiji and PNG as a corporate leader on issues like well-being and gender.

“It is also because of the supplier and product decisions we make, the way we engage stakeholders and communities in our decisions and take the time to match our customers with financial services that can really help them thrive,” said Mr Hooker.