Sustainability at Arbuthnot Latham
We are committed to ensuring our business activities have a positive impact not just for clients and shareholders, but also for colleagues, society, and the environment.
Sustainability is rooted in our values
Two of our key business principles, reciprocity and stability, rely on us recognising our own responsibility to make a positive societal impact.
The world is in the middle of a profound transition when it comes to sustainability, and we recognise the role we must play in that transition.
This means operating with a strong emphasis on our environmental and societal impact, and on our governance procedures.
We approach ESG by measuring the impact from our practices and outputs across five categories: Governance, Employees, Community, Environment and Clients.
An evolution is underway. Climate change is recognised as an important topic for consumers and investors alike. In parallel, inclusive growth and the impact organisations have on society is increasingly a focus.
More than ever before, organisations are being held accountable for their impacts on society. We focus on how we can improve to build a future that delivers growth, sustainability, and inclusion.
We care
Governance
We have a solid system of governance in place, endorsing the principles of openness, integrity, and accountability which underlie good corporate governance. The Bank operates to high standards of corporate accountability with an effective Board and Board committees.
Employees
Our colleagues and culture set us apart from others in our industry. As a relationship-led bank, our colleagues are at the centre of our consideration. We strive to create a working environment that ensures people are treated fairly and that their wellbeing is supported.
Community
We support philanthropy. We give back to our local communities and to causes we believe in as a bank and locally. We have supported young entrepreneurs for six years via our Inspiring Innovators programme and promote fundraising throughout the Bank.
Clients
Relationships with our clients are at the heart of what we do. We take the time to understand what is important to our clients so we can be confident that we are working in their best interests, for business, for family, for life. A relationship-led bank, every single one of our clients has a dedicated relationship manager there to guide and support them.
Environment
We take a long-term view. We recognise – as a business – that our carbon footprint needs to become net-zero. This reduction is not just an environmental imperative, but a business one as well. We are committed to having net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Our policies relating to ESG in detail
We have a solid system of governance in place
We have a solid system of governance in place, endorsing the principles of openness, integrity and accountability which underlie good corporate governance. We operate to high standards of corporate accountability with an effective Board and Board committees. This, together with the role and overall holding of Sir Henry Angest, the ultimate majority shareholder, and compliance with PRA and FCA regulations, is fundamental to our success as a business.
The following bank policies are directly linked to governance:
- Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy
- Anti-Money Laundering Policy
- Client Acceptance Policy
- Group Market Abuse and Insider Dealing Policy
- Whistleblowing Policy
Relationships with clients are at the heart of what we do
Relationships with our clients are at the heart of what we do. We take the time to understand what is important to our clients so we can be confident that we are working in their best interests, for business, for family, for life.
A relationship-led bank, every single one of our clients has a dedicated relationship manager there to guide and support them. This is supported by our strong net promoter scores (NPS).
The following bank policies are directly linked to clients:
- Complaints Handling Policy
- Fraud Policy
- Personal Data Protection Policy
- Physical Security Policy
- Vulnerable Clients Policy
Our colleagues and culture set us apart from others in the industry
As a relationship-led bank, our colleagues are at the centre of our consideration. Along with a range of structured internal wellbeing programmes, we have also introduced agile working, reflecting the view that there are substantial benefits from balancing office working with working from home. The Agile Working Policy was introduced in October 2021 to enable the business and its employees to benefit from a practical combination of office and remote working. In November 2021, we conducted our first Diversity & Inclusion Survey, the results of which will be used to create an even better working environment for employees and to help attract the best talent.
As a rapidly growing business, we encourage career progression and seek to develop our people’s skills to help them grow within the organisation. We strive to create a working environment that ensures people are treated fairly and that their wellbeing is supported.
At Arbuthnot Latham we aim to create an inclusive culture in which we look after our employees. The following policies ensure we do this:
- Agile Working Policy
- Flexible Working Policy
- Health and Safety Policy
- Parental Leave Policy
- Remuneration Policy
- Training & Development Policy
We are committed to net zero emissions by 2050
We take a long-term view. We recognise as a business that our carbon footprint needs to move towards net-zero over time. This reduction is not just an environmental imperative, but a business one as well. We are committed to having net zero carbon emissions by 2050. We are implementing an Environmental Management policy which sets out our high-level approach to managing environmental issues and provides requirements to help the bank to achieve its commitments.
The bank’s Credit Policy sets out our limited appetite for financial and reputational risk emanating from climate change, which includes physical risk (extreme weather, flooding, etc.) and transitional risk (changes to law, policy, regulation, and culture). We adopt a favourable stance towards a low carbon economy and lending propositions that have a neutral or positive impact on the environment / climate. We will also consider the impact on public perception and potential impact on ongoing demand for clients’ products and services, as well as any impact on underlying security. These factors are assessed as part of the credit application process and at least once a year through the annual review process.
These policies govern the way we impact the environment:
- Credit Policy
- Environment Management Policy
- Managing Financial Risks of Climate Change Framework
We give back to our community
The Bank supports philanthropy. We give back to our local communities and to causes we believe in as a bank and locally. We have supported young entrepreneurs for six years via our Inspiring Innovators programme and promote fundraising throughout the Bank.
The following policies govern our relationships with our community:
- Anti-Modern Slavery Policy
- Dignity at Work Policy
- Equality and Diversity Policy