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Private Sector Steps Towards Meeting the MDGs. September13, 2005. Summary of Presentation. Introduction What is CSR? Business and the MDGs The Financial Sector and the MDGs Scotiabank and the MDGs The Equator Principles Microfinance Advancement of Women. Introduction.
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Private Sector Steps Towards Meeting the MDGs September13, 2005
Summary of Presentation • Introduction • What is CSR? • Business and the MDGs • The Financial Sector and the MDGs • Scotiabank and the MDGs • The Equator Principles • Microfinance • Advancement of Women
Introduction • Scotiabank – A global company that operates in close to 50 countries, with branches in the Carribean, Central and South America • 27% of earnings from international operations and 37% of employees • Scotiabank’s contribution to the achievement of the MDGs is through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy
What is CSR? Scotiabank has adopted a stakeholder approach to CSR: “The way we interact with our stakeholders to meet our social, economic, environmental and ethical responsibilities”
What is CSR? • CSR is an umbrella concept that touches on a number of topics all of which are related to the MDGs, directly or indirectly: Environment Employees Customers CSR Community Governance
Business and the MDGs • First step is to come up with a plan about how your company can contribute to the MDGs most effectively • Key Questions for the company • How do you perceive your role in society? • What is your core business activity? • What are your greatest social and environmental risks and opportunities?
The Financial Sector and the MDGs • Financial Sector – Some MDG risks • Lack of qualified and healthy employees • Customer base without the tools, knowledge or trust necessary to use banking products • Market environment too unstable to support financial products and services
The Financial Sector and the MDGs • Financial Sector – Some MDG Opportunities • Grow client base through microfinance activities • Grow client base through offering affordable remittance process • Financing of renewable energies • Recruiting high-calibre employees
The Financial Sector and the MDGs • Methods for the Financial Sector to Address MDGs • Philanthropic activities • Affordable banking products / Microfinance • Providing financial education • Best practice in environmental and social standards for lending (e.g. the Equator Principles) • Best practice in environmental and social standards for supply chain management • Advancement of Women
Scotiabank and the MDGs Core Business Functions Equator Principles Micro-finance Women MDGs
Scotiabank and the MDGs: Microfinance • Microfinance Helps achieve a number of the MDGs: Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger Empowering women Reducing child mortality
Scotiabank and the MDGs: Microfinance • Microcredit is a small amount of money (as small as $50) loaned to a client (mostly women) by a bank or other institution. It can be offered, often without collateral, to an individual or through group lending. • Microfinance is a bundle of financial services, such as credit, savings, insurance and remittances.
Scotiabank and the MDGs: Microfinance • Scotiabank Microfinance Activities • Microfinance activities in Jamaica and Guyana • Developing a Bank-wide strategy on microfinance • Founding member and Treasurer of UN International Year of Microcredit 2005, Canadian Steering Committee
MDGs and Microfinance • MicroEntreprise Financing Limited, Jamaica • Partnership between CIDA (start-up funding), Scotiabank (seed money) and a local organization to create MEFL • Based on group lending model • Clients also receive business and personal development training free of cost • Clients required to save a small percentage of profits • 3,137 recipients to date since 2002
Business and the MDGs CONCLUSIONS www.scotiabank.com