Benchmark Mind The Gap

Benchmarking credit policies of international banks

Publication

1 December 2007

Like all other corporate citizens, banks have a responsibility to contribute to achieving socially and environmentally sustainable and just societies. As citizens, companies and governments rely on the financial services of commercial and investment banks, these financial institutions play a key role in every segment of human activity. While their services are used too often to finance activities that are harmful to the environment, human rights, and social equity, banks can also be positive agents of change. To become such an agent, banks need to take various steps. One of the most important is to develop and implement clear credit policies that cover their key sectors of operation and address issues that are critical to all their activities. Such policies should define the minimum standards to be met by each prospective client before the bank is prepared to provide any form of financial service.