RepoRt on - BNP Paribas

a paRtneR
in SoCiety
bnp paribas: commitment to developing
the communities in which it
operates.
bnP Paribas places great importance
on cultural diversity and has taken
various initiatives to become more integrated
into the social fabric, which
is inseparable from its retail banking
business. these initiatives focus mainly
on microfinance and social inclusion
through education, entrepreneurship
and cultural activities. the bnP Paribas
foundation, which discreetly accompanies
the group’s business activities,
also offers many valuable opportunities
for discovery and dialogue. although
not a core part of its civic commitment,
corporate philanthropy nonetheless enables
the group to fulfil more broadly
its commitment to social responsibility.
bnp paribas launches
a corporate social
responsibility blog
conscient de ses devoirs à l’écoute
bnp paribas is acutely aware of its duty
towards society, and created its own
corporate social responsibility blog in
2009: www.forachangingworld.com.
this first interactive blog, open
to everyone, aims to build links between
people from different backgrounds,
invite discussion and encourage dialogue.
the blog, in French and english, talks about
the bnp paribas group’s commitments
and the initiatives of its staff in all areas
relating to social responsibility.
areas covered include microcredit,
educational support, medical research,
culture, the environment, diversity
and suburban regeneration.
bnP Paribas
and its
involvement in
microfinance
three years after the launch of its international
microfinance business,
bnP Paribas continues its commitment
based on three complementary lines
of action in france and the emerging
countries:
— financing international microfinance
institutions (mfis);
— microfinance funds;
— skills-based volunteer work.
83 <strong>RepoRt</strong> on CoRpoRate SoCial and enviRonmental ReSponSibility
financing international
microfinance institutions
bnP Paribas believes that one of the crucial
success factors in the microfinance
business is the close support given
by microfinance institutions (mfis). for
this reason, bnP Paribas does not intend
to develop a direct microfinance activity
itself, but seeks to identify the most
professional mfis and finance their development,
especially in the countries
where the bank operates.
since 1993, the group has partnered
the adie (Association pour le Droit à
l’Initiative Économique), an association
that provides microfinance to unemployed
people wishing to set up their
own business. under the partnership,
the bank provides the adie with an
eur 8 million credit line and helps to finance
its operating costs with a subsidy
of about eur 380,000 a year. in 2009,
the partnership supported 2,298 new
business ventures with an average loan
of eur 3,056 over eighteen months.
in addition, since december 2007,
bnP Paribas has supported financités,
a solidarity venture capital fund that
finances micro-businesses in underprivileged
neighbourhoods. bnP Paribas
committed to providing financités, a
subsidiary of the Planet finance group,
with eur 1 million of share capital. since
then, financités has equity financed
13 small business ventures for a total of
eur 800,000 with an average amount
of eur 60,000 per project. all in all, since
its creation in 2007, financités has supported
34 small business ventures for
a total of eur 1.8 million. these investments
enable young businesses in a
broad variety of sectors, such as ethical
clothing, online invitation printing
and wedding organisation, to expand
and contribute to revitalising the local
economy and creating local jobs.