At Standard Bank Group we know that every choice we make has an impact, be it environmental, social or and economical. So we weigh the consequences of every business decision we make and look for opportunities that benefit our employees, customers and the communities we work with and in.
Being ethical also allows us to pay dividends to our shareholders, pay salaries to our employees, invest in community projects and make tax payments to governments. We recognise that the private sector has an additional responsibility to help governments find solutions to development challenges, particularly in emerging markets. Here in South Africa, our most significant contribution to growing a developed society is to enable economic activity, through increasing access to banking services.
We know this widespread access can only be sustainable however if, in our business activities, we apply a holistic approach to human development and look after the environment through, among others, low-carbon energy usage. For more on our low-carbon and human development activities and initiatives, read our human development and sustainability report for 2010:
https://sustainability.standardbank.com/.