The Board of Directors has ultimate responsibility for Swedbank’s sustainability governance. The Board is actively engaged in the bank’s sustainability matters and receives continuous updates on the work. The bank’s policies in the area (e.g. Code of Conduct, Human Rights Policy, Environmental Policy, etc.) are adopted by the Board.

The CEO’s main responsibility is to ensure that Swedbank can deliver on the Strategic Direction, which shows where the bank is headed and what must be done to achieve the bank’s vision and goals, in which sustainability plays an important part. The CEO is also responsible for the Group’s position statements on defence equipment and climate change, as well as the instructions that support the implementation of the bank’s policies.

Swedbank's Sustainability Committee

Swedbank’s Sustainability Committee is led by the Head of Group Brand, Communication & Sustainability. The committee’s goal is to guide and support the governance of sustainability-related matters within the Group. The members include representatives at the management level from the bank’s various business areas and Group Functions. The representatives are appointed by the Group Executive Committee. The committee’s Chair issues recommendations and issues can also be escalated to the CEO. Where frameworks do not provide enough guidance for business decisions, the issues can be escalated to Swedbank’s Sustainability Committee. All business areas and Group Functions have the option to escalate issues to the committee.

Local Sustainability Committees

In each Baltic country, Swedbank has local Sustainability Committees that follow the same working principles and process as the Group Sustainability Committee.

Sustainability work within Group Functions

Group Brand, Communication & Sustainability drives Swedbank’s sustainability management forward and passes on proposals to the CEO. Group Sustainability, which is part of this unit, is led by the bank’s Head of Sustainability. Group Sustainability’s main task is to promote sustainability-related matters in strategies, goals and monitoring. The Head of Group Sustainability is also Chair of Swedbank Sustainable Bond Committee, which decides on green and social assets in accordance with the Sustainable Funding Framework.

Other Group Functions collaborate with Group Sustainability on the integration of frameworks, policies and governance tied to sustainability. Each Group Function is responsible within its area of operation for sustainability management and has sustainability experts within the applicable function. The sustainability area and the skills needed determine which unit has the main responsibility.