Our commitments and partnerships
Through global and regional commitments and partnerships we collaborate with other leaders to create positive change.
Principles for Responsible Banking – United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative
In May 2018, Westpac Group joined 25 other leading banks from five continents to develop shared principles, aligning the purpose of banking with delivering against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement.
Australian Business Roundtable for Natural Disasters and Safer Communities
In December 2012, Westpac and five other Australian organisations formed the Australian Business Roundtable for Natural Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities to advocate greater collaboration between all levels of government, business and community organisations to make Australian communities more resilient to natural disasters.
Banking Environment Initiative
In 2012, Westpac became a foundation member of the Banking Environment Initiative, convened by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. This initiative aims to lead the banking industry in directing capital towards sustainable economic development.
Business Coalition Statement on Climate Change
In 2015, Westpac signed the Business Coalition Statement on Climate which highlights our support for Australia's bipartisan commitment to limit global warming to less than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, alongside other nations within an international agreement.
Global Investor Statement on Climate Change
In 2014, The Global Investor Statement sets out the contributions that investors can make to increasing low carbon and climate resilient investments and offers practical proposals on how our contribution may be scaled up through appropriate government action.
Montreal Carbon Pledge
In September 2014, our wealth management business BT Financial Group signed the Montreal Carbon Pledge, which commits investors to measure and publicly disclose the carbon footprint of their investment portfolios on an annual basis. It is supported by the Principles for Responsible Investment and the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative.
Soft Commodities Compact (Banking Environment Initiative)
In 2014, Westpac signed the Banking Environment Initiative's Soft Commodities Compact, which commits us to do our part to help achieve zero net deforestation by 2020.
The Equator Principles
In 2003, Westpac was one of 10 founding signatories globally to the Equator Principles, a risk management framework adopted by financial institutions for determining, assessing and managing environmental and social risk in projects. We signed the third version of the Equator Principles in 2013.
The New York Declaration on Forests
In 2014, Westpac was a founding signatory to the New York Declaration on Forests as agreed at UN Secretary-General's 2014 Climate Summit. This commits us, collectively with a range of other companies, Governments and civil society organisations across the world, to do our part to halt deforestation.
UN Environment Program - Finance Initiative
In 1992, Westpac was a founding signatory to the United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative. This is a global partnership between UNEP and over 200 institutions, including banks, insurers and fund managers, working together to understand the impacts of environmental and social considerations on financial performance.
In 2015, the four major Australian banks formed the Australian Portfolio Carbon Working Group, an informal, collaborative working group recognised by the United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative.
UN Principles for Responsible Investment
In 2007, our wealth management business BT Financial Group became a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment, which commit institutional investors to incorporate environmental, social and governance considerations into investment analysis, decision making and ownership priorities.
Visit the UNPRI website, which contains our reporting against the principles
UN Global Compact
In 2002, Westpac was a founding signatory to the UN Global Compact, an initiative to align signatories' strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and take actions that advance societal goals. In 2016, through its participation in the UN Global Compact, Westpac signed a statement of support for the Sustainable Development Goals, a set of goals which lay out an ambitious path to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and protect our planet over the next 15 years.
Visit the UN Global Compact website
View our Statement of Support for the Sustainable Development Goals
View our UN Global Compact Communication of Progress reports in Performance Reports
UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate
In 2007, Westpac became a signatory to the CEO Water Mandate, which mobilizes business leaders to advance water stewardship, sanitation, and the Sustainable Development Goals, in partnership with the United Nations, governments and civil society.
We Mean Business Coalition
In 2015, Westpac signed a number of climate and environmental leadership initiatives as part of the We Mean Business Coalition (formerly CDP Road to Paris program), a platform for companies to be actively engaged in global climate change policy developments.