Banking. Responsible., For us, sustainability is responsibility and success.

With its sustainable loan business, Commerzbank is actively driving forward the transformation towards a more sustainable economy. We directly finance sustainable projects and business models (green loans and social loans) as well as initiatives that support the transition to more sustainable business models (transition loans). We have set ourselves the goal of granting at least 10 percent of our new loan business as sustainable loans in the long term.

Green loans and social loans

Green loans finance projects such as renewable energy, energy efficiency measures and conservation initiatives to promote environmental sustainability. Social loans support projects with a positive social impact, such as health and education projects, programmes to combat poverty, or social integration initiatives. With its green loans and social loans, Commerzbank aims to promote investment in projects and companies that positively impact sustainability.

Transition loans

Transition loans focus on financing the transition of companies and sectors to more sustainable business models. Commerzbank’s aim is to help companies become carbon neutral in the long term. Transition loans are therefore an important building block for achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Commerzbank has committed to achieve Net Zero in its own operations by 2040. This applies to all locations in Germany and abroad.

Commerzbank has committed to achieving net-zero in its own operations by 2040. This applies to all locations in Germany and abroad. On the path to achieving this goal, we were already able to reduce emissions in Germany by around 80 % between 2007 and 2020. With our new climate target, we aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a further 30 % by 2025. This target also includes international locations in around 20 countries. Where CO2 emissions are unavoidable, we have been offsetting them since January 2015 using certificates from CO2 reduction projects. Since 2021, emissions from Commerzbank AG's international locations have also been offset. As a result, Commerzbank is now operating climate neutrally.

More about CO₂ offsetting

Commerzbank has a long tradition of promoting equal opportunities for men and women, and although women make up a small majority of Commerzbank’s workforce, they are not yet equally represented at management level. We want to change this.

We therefore strive for gender diversity in all functions and at all levels of the bank: in the spirit of equal opportunities, all career paths should be open to all employees. Increasing the proportion of women in management positions is therefore a particular strategic concern. The Board of Managing Directors has set a target of 40 percent female representation across the Group by the end of 2030 in management levels 1 to 4 and in project management level 5.

Proportion of women in management positions

Between 2021 and 2023, Commerzbank already increased the proportion of women in management positions from 33.7 to 36.1 percent. The target for 2030 is an increase to 40 percent.

Our people are our “most important asset”. Maintaining and continuously improving the satisfaction of our employees is a top priority for us. That is why we support our employees in developing their full potential in their work.

Employee Engagement Index

This index is an independent, externally developed tool for measuring employee satisfaction. It allows comparison over time as well as external comparison with German companies via the RACER Benchmark Group. An online questionnaire is sent to all Commerzbank AG employees in Germany and abroad, asking them to rate four core statements on the topics of willingness to recommend the company, enjoyment, pride and motivation.

We have defined the prevention of corruption in the bank as an important Group objective and have a strict zero-tolerance policy. Employees who are found to have violated this principle will face employment, civil and criminal consequences. Thanks to extensive measures, we have not recorded any cases of corruption to date, and we aim to maintain this record.

Our employees receive regular training on these issues. A central element is the annual anti-corruption training for all employees. Business and functional units with a higher risk profile and individuals who are exposed to an increased risk of corruption due to their role at Commerzbank also receive targeted training. The Supervisory Board and the Board of Managing Directors are also trained by the Chief Compliance Officer on ABC-relevant topics.

As part of our corporate governance strategy, we have been assessing our performance in the area of integrity culture since 2019 and have set ourselves ambitious targets with the culture of integrity score. The score follows a three-stage categorisation based on traffic light logic, with Commerzbank aiming for a score in the green zone, and thus top values.

The culture of integrity score results from the assessment of the following topics:

• Management culture
  Middle and senior management convey our corporate values through their behaviour and lay the foundation for a strong risk culture.
• Responsibility and accountability
  Employees are required to take responsibility and adhere to applicable risk limits.
• Communication and critical dialogue
  Interaction within the bank should be characterised by clear and direct communication, facilitating critical dialogue at all levels.
• Incentive structures
  Appropriate incentives must be in place to support the alignment of the risk culture with the bank’s risk profile.
• Risk awareness and learning
  Adequate risk awareness must be ensured, with a focus on the bank’s culture of failure, so that employees can learn from their mistakes.