Emirates NBD wins IMPACT2030 Innovation Award for corporate volunteering efforts

Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, has been recognised for its pioneering efforts in employee volunteering and corporate social responsibility by IMPACT2030, the corporate volunteering arm of the United Nations. 

The bank was named an IMPACT2030 Innovation Award Winner in recognition of its in-house corporate volunteering programme Exchanger. The IMPACT2030 Innovation Awards recognise excellence in directing the collective skills, experience and talent of corporate volunteers towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – a universal call to action adopted by all nations in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

Launched in 2015, Emirates NBD’s Exchanger programme offers employees and partners the opportunity to serve the community for a variety of causes including empowering People of Determination (people with disabilities), women’s empowerment, health and wellness, environment, and community development. The programme has completed close to 21,000 volunteering hours year-to-date in 2019, with 2,045 active Exchangers and 311 volunteering activities completed. About 217,000 members of the public have been positively and directly impacted by the Exchanger Programme this year.

Commenting on the award, Husam Al Sayed, Group Chief Human Resource Officer, Emirates NBD, said: “Emirates NBD is deeply honoured to be named an IMPACT2030 Innovation Award winner, which serves as valuable, global affirmation of the immensely important work our employee volunteers undertake on a regular basis. I’m grateful for the efforts of every member of the Exchanger programme as well as the support of our partners and customers who have wholeheartedly backed this initiative. As a bank focused on sustainable development, Emirates NBD will continue to focus on finding creative and rewarding ways to enhance community welfare and give back to society in the markets we operate in.”

Sue Stephenson, Interim CEO for IMPACT2030, said: “We are very proud to honour Emirates NBD with the IMPACT2030 Innovation Award in recognition of the company's extraordinary commitment through the Exchanger Programme to pioneer the importance of serving others through meaningful volunteer activities. They are scaling impact on the SDGs by engaging employees, friends and family members and driving collective action with external business partners across the UAE and beyond."

Emirates NBD strives to invest in socially responsible programmes and solutions that address the United Nations SDGs, the UAE Vision 2021, and the United Nations Environmental Programme Dubai Declaration for Sustainable Finance that was launched  during the UNEP FI (UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative)’s 14th Global Roundtable under the auspices of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. A champion of private volunteering, the bank aims to persuade UAE citizens and residents to invest in their community by giving their skills and time to worthwhile causes, such as those organized by the Community Development Authority (CDA)’s Dubai Volunteer Center, and Volunteers.ae. This year, Emirates NBD aligned its 2019 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives with the seven pillars of the UAE’s ‘Year of Tolerance’ initiative. The key focus areas for Emirates NBD’s 2019 CSR programme include enhancing donation platforms, promoting financial literacy, encouraging volunteering efforts, and collaboration with corporate peers towards sustainable social responsibility.

IMPACT2030 was founded in response to a United Nations resolution that called upon nations to engage with the private sector through the expansion of corporate volunteering and employee volunteer activities. IMPACT2030 facilitates avenues for cross-sector and cross-industry collaboration; initiating joint commitments on human capital investments for the SDGs at a local level, national and country level; and developing a framework and methodology to measure the outcomes and impact of human capital investments on the SDGs.