For ING, being a responsible company not only complements our long-term business objectives but it also helps to define our strategy, identity and the way we do business. Today, a responsible financial institution has to make investment and insurance decisions while taking into account a wide number of ethical, social and environmental issues.

With operations spanning across 13 markets in Asia/Pacific, ING is proud to give back to the communities in which it operates. Staying true to what we stand for, developing a strong sustainable strategy and implementing the right policies is the best way for us to show our commitment to corporate responsibility.

• • We lend and invest responsibly by avoiding business dealings that are not in line with our ethical, environmental and social vision.

• • We manage our impact on the environment.

• • We treat our customers fairly.

• • We meet the growing customer demand for products and services that are environmentally friendly and socially responsible in addition to generating a good financial return.

• • We engage our employees in all aspects of sustainability.

• • We play an active role in the communities where we do business.

Over the past years ING has taken several steps to reach the above objectives:

• • Our Business Principles and other policies guide us in making the right business decisions.

• • We promote continuous dialogue with our stakeholders.

• • We are constantly evaluating our policies and adjusting them where necessary.

• • We have a strong focus on embedding responsible behaviour into the daily work of our employees.

• • We have been measuring, tracking and monitoring our performance in the social and environmental field since 1995, which helps us to continuously improve performance.

For more information on ING’s strategy and performance in 2007, please see our CR Asia Brochure and CR Performance Report 2007.

ING is a global asset manager with the experience, expertise and commitment to investing our clients’ assets responsibly. It applies environmental and social risk policies in all its investment and lending activities with the introduction of several unique products over the last few years, including microfinance mutual funds and alternative energy growth fund. The company has also adopted the Equator Principles which mitigate social and environmental risks inherent in project financing, and signed up to the UN Global Compact, demonstrating the importance ING attaches to human rights, environmental care and ethical business practices.

Equator Principles

The Equator Principles are a benchmark for the financial industry to manage environmental and social risk in project financing. Introduced in June 2003 and adopted by 41 banks and financial institutions, the Equator Principles have been a huge step forward for the project finance industry.

On 6 July 2006, ING and 32 other financial institutions announced a revised version of the Equator Principles. Click here  to learn how the Equator Principles have been expanded.

Equator Principles and ING
By adopting the new Principles, ING commits itself with renewed vigour to certain socio-environmental standards in project financing. Any project that falls within the scope of the Principles undergoes a risk assessment on its possible socio-environmental risks. In other words, these non-financial risks feature prominently in ING’s overall risk analysis. By addressing these risks, ING lowers the credit risk of its own portfolio and helps clients design more socially and environmentally responsible projects.

The Equator Principles Advisory Team
A dedicated team is responsible for embedding the Equator Principles within ING. Operating independently from commercial units, ING’s Equator Principles Advisory Team provides training, guidance and compliance advice on implementing the Principles.

In all high risk transactions, the Equator Principles Advisory Team not only advises the deal team on compliance with the Principles throughout the life of ING’s involvement in the transactions, but also advises decision-making authorities on critical approval decisions.

The July 2006 revision of the Equator Principles:

• • The Principles apply globally and to all industrial sectors.

• • The Principles are now based on stronger and better social and environmental standards, including more robust public consultation standards.

• • The Principles apply to all projects with capital costs above USD 10 million (the threshold has been lowered from USD 50 million).

• • The Principles also apply to project finance advisory activities.

• • The Principles apply to upgrades or expansions of existing projects where the additional environmental or social impacts are significant (so far it was limited to new projects).

• • The approach in applying the Principles to countries with existing high standards for environmental and social issues has been streamlined.

• • Each Equator Principles Financial Institution is now required to report on the progress and performance of Equator Principles’ implementation on an annual basis.

Sustainable Products
By investing in microfinance—the provision of financial services to people with no access to conventional banking—ING is helping individuals and small businesses in the developing world to take control of their future.

In 2007, ING and PlaNet Finance India jointly launched the MicroInsurance Awards, which aim to build a comprehensive inventory and identify existing best practices in product design and distribution channels implemented by existing micro-insurance schemes in the country. The initiative also intends to promote the development of new products and delivery models targeted at a rural population of more than 770 million in India. Microfinance

Click here for more details about ING and microfinance.

Sustainable Equity Funds
ING offers investors several sustainable equity funds. The managers of these funds combine conventional financial analysis with the assessment of environmental and social policies, and performances.

These sustainable funds do not invest in companies involved in the following sectors and activities: arms production and trade (including military contracting), pesticides production, nuclear power, tobacco, gambling, pornography and fur. Furthermore, companies can be excluded on the basis of social or environmental behaviour related to topics like forced labour, child labour or discrimination. Apart from these exclusionary criteria our investment specialists only select from the best (top 50%) performing companies in global sectors with regards to their environmental, social and governance policies, transparency and effort

Green Product Initiatives
ING has been involved in new initiatives to involve our customers in preserving the environment. ING Direct Australia is helping to protect the snubfin dolphin by donating AUD 50,000 to WWF-Australia to purchase a research boat. To help further raise money for protecting this rare dolphin, ING asks its customers to switch to electronic statements instead of paper statements to save paper. For each customer that switches, the company donates another AUD 2 to the project.