BNP Paribas takes a proactive approach to creating fair and sustainable growth. Allowing its employees to engage in charity work for a greener, more inclusive world, during worktime, is just one aspect of this approach. This is why the Group has made an ambitious commitment to reach one million hours of volunteering in 2020, all during worktime.

This experience allows us to meet people who go to work every day so that the worst-off members of society can eat a meal in a welcoming place. I think that this kind of experience should be mandatory, to remind people of the reality of poverty in Geneva in 2020.”

Antoine Decosterd, BNP Paribas’ employee volunteering at Carrefour-Rue

In line with this commitment, BNP Paribas in Switzerland has set itself a local target of 5,000 volunteering hours in 2020, and is offering its staff a personal annual allocation of 16 hours for volunteering.

Alone or as part of a team, each employee can give up his or her time to help local charities with their work on the ground or with their need for skills.

To launch this solidarity movement, an initial Volunteering Week was organised at the Geneva and Zurich sites from 27 to 31 January 2020. Throughout the week, bank employees prepared meals for the homeless, distributed clothes to disadvantaged members of the community, gave blood, and offered coaching to skilled migrant women.

The desire to contribute towards a sustainable economy is at the heart of BNP Paribas’s mission and strategy. For this commitment to influence each of the bank’s activities in Switzerland, sharing these convictions and mobilising all staff are essential. Allowing our employees to help local charities during worktime fits in perfectly with this approach, and we are very proud of the commitment shown by teams during this first Volunteering Week!

Isabelle Wolff
Head of Engagement
BNP Paribas in Switzerland

The volunteering week in figures

170 HOURS OF VOLUNTEERING

100 EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEERING

9 MISSIONS

BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA is proud to be official partner of CYBATHLON 2020 and support CYBATHLON in its endeavour to promote research, development and the implementation of assistive technology for people with disabilities.

Cybathlon is a unique championship in which people with physical disabilities from all over the world compete against each other by completing everyday tasks using state-of-the-art technical assistance systems developed by their engineer teams especially for the race.

This championship was founded in 2013 and is organized every 4 years since 2016 by ETH Zurich.

By being a partner of CYBATHLON, BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA both underlines the values which the Group shares with the organisation and emphasises its engagement for innovation and responsible business – always with the aim of making a positive contribution and to being committed to a better future. This way the Group reaffirms its support for drivers of innovation while actively engaging in society and against social exclusion.

Get ready for CYBATHLON 2020 that will be held from May 2nd to May 3rd 2020 at the SWISS Arena in Kloten near Zurich. Be ready for exciting races and challenging tasks.

For more information on the CYBATHLON 2020 click here.

Zurich is one of the world’s most expensive cities in the world and Switzerland is one of the richest countries on the planet. Yet, the country also has – with 716kg of waste per person (i.e. almost 2kg per day!) – one of the highest waste levels in the world.

BNP Paribas as a bank and its employees in Zurich are committed to changing this situation for the better. Last Friday, September 20th, 2019, as part of the World Cleanup Day 2019 they watched the short film “A Plastic Ocean” produced by Craig Leeson, our Global Sustainable Ambassador for the for the next 3 years to 2020 before dedicating two hours of their afternoon for a guided tour at the of the sewage treatment plant Werdhölzli in Zurich.

For all participants the film and excursion were eye-opening moments. All agreed: “It’s crazy to see what mankind does to the ecosystem! We are actually eating plastic.”

Therefore, for the soil, air and water to be as clean as possible it needs every single one of us.

The sewage treatment plant Werdhölzli in Zurich the employees visited might count among the most modern plants in Europe. Yet, everything that is thrown into the toilet needs to be segregated and not everything that is said to be soluble is actually soluble: the plastic of dish washer tabs for example is not… Reason why waste water can be cleaned at the sewage treatment plant Werdhölzli with a quality up to 99.8% only. The remaining “dirty” 0.2% are particles of plastic that will remain in the life cycle…

Conscious of their responsibility, the employees at the BNP Paribas branch in Zurich also would like to become locally involved. They are hence organizing to contribute for half a day to a clean city of Zurich with a “clean-up session” of the Limmat, Sihl and the lake of Zurich for later this year.

Since its launch by BNP Paribas Suisse in 2018, the Heures Solidaires initiative promoting employee engagement has been a resounding success. On this occasion, the Crédit-Wealth Management team volunteered its time with two associations. Activities were organised over two half-days, with the participation of 28 employees.

Raising awareness, work on the ground, team spirit: committed to a clean Lake Geneva.

Did you know that 50 tonnes of plastic of all sizes (from 5 to 0.001 mm) end up in Lake Geneva every year, and that the harmful and addictive substances in just one cigarette butt can pollute up to 500 litres of water?

The Sauvegarde du Léman association aims to raise awareness and take action against harmful pollution to the Lake Geneva flora and fauna.

With this goal in mind, on September 12 a group of 17 employees participated in a clean-up operation on the shores of Lake Geneva, in Versoix. During a debrief on the rubbish collected by the group, we learned that cigarette butts tossed into the sewers in town were finishing up… in the lake. That’s right. “Clear” rainwater is not treated. If you care about rubbish and recycling, download the Net’Leman app, which gets everyone involved in picking up waste along the lake. The information provided by participants, such as the type of rubbish and where it was collected, is used by scientists for practical purposes. The app also highlights recycling points near the user, as well as tips to help reduce waste.

The group collected around 3,000 cigarette butts, 1kg of food plastic, 15 glass bottles, about 20 cans and one unusual object: a satellite dish.

Doing good and feeling good: an intergenerational adventure.

On 19 September, 11 employees joined the guests of Geneva-based association Salon de Sylvia – which aims to help those suffering from cognitive impairment – on a walk in Le Salève, followed by a lunch.

The eight hosts aged between 73 and 89 years old, were supported by an educational team (an art therapist, a psychology student, a socio-educational assistant and a nurse).

Some of the hosts we had the pleasure of joining include: Michelle and Jean-Michel, a well-travelled married couple with a taste for adventure. Cultured and open to the world, Fatima is the widow of an international diplomat and has lived in a number of countries around the world. As some of the hosts live alone, the association gives them a social connection and helps form intergenerational bonds.

We gained insight into the hosts’ diverse backgrounds – into lives marked by some solitude, but also by richness. Talking with the hosts and listening to their experiences was a source of personal, collective and mutual enrichment.

The young may travel quickly, but the aged know the way!

Between July 2016 and December 2018, BNP Paribas in Switzerland worked with Youth-led sustainable development NGO Raleigh International to contribute to the reconstruction and sustainable development of Nepal. The joint actions on water, sanitation and hygiene had deep and vital impact for 16 isolated rural Nepali communities.

Nepal, a country devastated by two dramatic earthquakes in 2015

Nepal is the second poorest country in Asia. It has traditionally struggled to provide sufficient and safe water and sanitation coverage in its communities, particularly among those living in rural and hard to reach areas. The two devastating earthquakes, which hit Nepal in 2015, caused widespread damage to its already poorly functioning infrastructure and exacerbated an already grave situation.

Gorkha district, to the north-west of Kathmandu, was the epicentre of the first earthquake that struck in April 2015. Its communities represent some of the very worst affected, with just 30% of people (among a population of 271,061) able to access a protected source of safe water following the earthquake.

A strategic partnership to improve safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructures and practices

With a strong will to act as a responsible bank and to be a positive agent for change in our societies, BNP Paribas in Switzerland united in a 3-year partnership with Raleigh International, a non-governmental organization that aspire to create lasting change through youth in communities in need.
Between July 2016 and December 2018, BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA and Raleigh International worked together to bring safe water and sanitation to households in 16 of Nepal’s worst affected communities.
Over 1,500 people now benefit from increased access to safe and clean water, almost 400 were supported to construct sanitation facilities and nearly 800 people now have handwashing stations outside their homes. Safe hygiene practices have been promoted in the communities through a series of awareness events, contributing to positive WASH-related behavior change.

A sustainable impact with the engagement of the local communities

The project was delivered by engaging international volunteers, among which 7 were managers of the bank. But also by engaging national youth, in order both to build their personal employability and leadership skills and to create a legacy of engaged and skilled Nepali youth.

The local communities were also fully committed and involved in every stage of project delivery to encourage ownership of the interventions. All construction work was delivered against the standards set by the National Reconstruction Authority, helping to ensure the infrastructure has greater resilience to future shocks.

Now, 89% of people reported that they feel their lives are better following delivery of WASH interventions in their community and that they are able to access sufficient quantities of clean, safe water within 30 minutes of their home.

Have a look at the key numbers :

Although the global economic recovery is continuing, we are seeing a slowdown in growth, widening inequality and a continued lack of decent employment opportunities worldwide. How can BNP Paribas Switzerland help?

The creation of stable jobs and decent working conditions are the key ingredients for sustainable economic growth that benefits the entire global population.”

Supporting entrepreneurs and boosting their impact

From start-ups and SMEs to multinationals, BNP Paribas supports all types of companies. Through its financing and responsible investment activities, the bank plays a role in society’s economic development and also promotes job creation.

BNP Paribas has implemented a number of projects to support positive and sustainable economic growth, deciding to focus in particular on creating and developing a strategy promoting social entrepreneurship. One such initiative, Act for Impact, offers tailored banking support to entrepreneurs with innovative solutions in order to enhance their impact, accelerate projects and provide them with access to a network of key partners in France.

Promoting professional integration in Switzerland

Since 2019, the BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation has been a partner of the RISE programme (Responsible Internships to Support Employment), which enables young refugees aged 16–25 to become part of the workforce by developing a career plan through individual coaching. The programme offers young people corporate internships so that they can familiarise themselves with the local professional environment and acquire new skills. It is coordinated by two associations: Friends International Switzerland and AMIC. This year, for the second time, the bank will welcome three interns from this programme who will have the opportunity to discover different jobs in the field of banking.

This programme is an integral part of the BNP Paribas Group’s plan to support the hosting and integration of refugees in Europe, which is set to contribute more than €12 million to integration projects in nine European countries between 2015 and 2021.

A conference to explain the challenges of refugee integration

To mark the partnership, a conference was held at the bank’s premises on Thursday, 16 May on the theme “Young refugees: a corporate internship as a springboard for the future”. The event brought together partners from the RISE network, as well as bank employees interested in these issues. Metin Türker, Project Manager at the Bureau de l’Intégration des Etrangers (BIE) – the office for the integration of foreigners of the Canton of Geneva – and Huda Bakhet and Emmanuelle Werner, co-founders of the RISE project, spoke about the challenges of refugee integration in Geneva.

“The number of unaccompanied minor refugees arriving in Geneva more than doubled between 2015 and 2017, from 40 to 260. Most of them were between 15 and 17 when they arrived”, said Mr Türker. “We realised that once they reached 18, it was very difficult to find a career without regular support and access to a network. And thus the RISE project was born. Thanks to the internships offered – even if they are just for a short period – these young people are able to show future employers that they have professional experience in Switzerland, which will open more doors for them.” adds Mrs Bakhet.

Mounira Fellag, BNP Paribas employee in the legal team, and Osman Ibrahim, a beneficiary of the RISE programme, were also present to talk about their own experience.

“Osman’s time with us in the summer of 2018 was appreciated by the entire team. In addition to being a competent worker and carrying out the tasks he was assigned with great care and diligence, Osman was full of ideas and his cheerful nature was infectious. We are delighted to learn that BNP Paribas will be hosting new interns this year.”

Following his internship at BNP Paribas, Osman was able to join the Swiss pre-apprenticeship integration programme (PAI), which consists of one year of dual vocational training to help prepare for federal vocational education and training (AFP or CFC) or find a job.

In 2018, the Fondation Beyeler and BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation forged a new partnership to co-create multimedia centres during the museum’s major exhibitions. After working towards restoring major works, both partners wanted to service cultural mediation using new technologies.

A long-standing partnership

From 2011 to 2017, the BNP Paribas Swiss Foundation supported the restoration of major works from the Fondation Beyeler’s collection. Through extensive research and documentation, the programme run by the Restoration Department of the Fondation Beyeler has restored six works: Ferdinand Léger’s Le passage à niveau (1912), Max Ernst’s The King Playing with the Queen (1944),  Henri Rousseau’s Le lion, ayant faim, se jette sur l’antilope (1898-1905), Pablo Picasso’s Femme (1907), Claude Monet’s Nymphéas (1916-1919), Andy Warhol’s Joseph Beuys (1980).

Digital mediation: new technologies providing unprecedented access to art

The use of digital mediation tools is an innovative way to promote the coming together of institutions, visitors and works presented through new technologies. By allowing greater interaction with the public, this new method of mediation aims to facilitate access to the world of art and enrich the visitor experience. The Fondation Beyeler’s multimedia centres combine the curator’s exhibition concept, as well as anecdotes from the artist’s life, with new and surprising technologies unknown to the majority of visitors. More information on current exhibitions and the Fondation Beyeler is available on their website.

BNP Paribas is fully committed to engage itself in meaningful partnerships in favour of sustainable development at a global scale, bringing to the table its network and expertise.

According to the United Nations, most Sustainable Development Goals needs to be achieved by 2030, and will cost between $5 trillion to $7 trillion. All the more reason to work on solid, inclusive and integrated partnerships between all stakeholders.

In 2017 BNP Paribas in Switzerland and the Solar Impulse Foundation created by Bertrand Piccard signed an innovative partnership. The Bank contributes to the identification of 1’000 concrete and profitable solutions to preserve the environment in preparation of the COP 25. The final objective of this initiative being to encourage companies, municipalities but also governments to adopt them as part of their energy policies. The following video sums up everything you need to know about this inspiring partnership!

 

 

Corruption, bribery, theft and tax evasion cost some $1.26 trillion for developing countries per year.”

At its humble level, BNP Paribas makes a point of taking into account the principles of transparency, fairness and integrity for all its business activities.

BNP Paribas published in 2016 its own Code of Conduct defining the rules governing all of its actions in each of its geographies. As such, the Group is publicly stating its commitment to scrupulously comply with laws and regulations, while making sure that each of its decision is guided by a deep sense of ethical responsibility. In order to ensure that its impact is positive, BNP Paribas upholds the highest standards in the areas of Human Rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. This is why the Group acknowledges and is committed to respecting a number of principles and norms listed by several international institutions.

As part of its environmental commitments, BNP Paribas is adapting its financing and investments activities, and now integrates criteria relative to biodiversity into all its sector policies.

Forests are home to more than 80% of all terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects.”

How is BNP Paribas preserving the forests concretely?

The Group has drawn up several financing and investments policies covering its activities in sensitive economic sectors impacting directly the forests condition. These public policies have been developed in cooperation with independent experts and apply to all of the Group’s business lines and countries where it operates.