Our Approach
We believe that we contribute to society by being good at what we do and by taking responsibility for the impact our products and services have on the world around us.
Our ambition to be an excellent and trustworthy financial institution also includes being a company that takes its responsibilities towards people and the environment seriously. This belief is not only inspired by a desire to 'do the right thing' or to manage reputation risks. It is also about our conviction that to be a successful company, our business decisions must be in line with the expectations and interests of those to whom we owe our license to operate – our stakeholders.
We further believe that acting responsibly results in better and more comprehensive risk management, proud employees, a greater attraction of ING for talented people and new business opportunities. Our Corporate Responsibility (CR) strategy is based on these beliefs. It describes what company we desire to be, what areas we focus on and how we hold ourselves accountable for our actions.
- A responsible financial services provider
We want to provide the best products and services for our customers, to be an open and inclusive employer to our staff, and offer enduring value for our shareholders. We take account of the social and environmental impact of everything we do. As part of our strategy, we build long-term relationships with our stakeholders based on mutual trust and transparency.
- A responsible corporate citizen
We want to be involved in the community and want to invest in a better future. We are guided by what our stakeholders expect from us and what their interests are.
Our four key pillars
In our ambition to be both a responsible company and a good corporate citizen, we have identified four key focus areas in which responsible behaviour should be reflected at all times.
Business
As a financial institution, we provide high quality products and services that meet the needs and expectations of our customers, that do no harm to people or to the environment and that are easy to access and understand. It is our aim to continue to develop more and better sustainable products and services.
People
We foster an open, safe, inclusive and stimulating working environment for our employees. We believe that this results in a highly professional and committed workforce that drives business success through strong execution. We endeavour to respect human rights in everything we do, whether it concerns our own employees or other people that may be affected by our operations and business decisions.
Environment
Internally, it is our constant aim to keep managing and reducing our environmental footprint. We educate our employees about environmentally responsible behaviour and engage them through awareness programmes. Externally, we conduct our business in such a way that a negative impact on the environment is avoided or minimised as much as possible. We integrate principles of sustainable development into our business decisions and processes.
Community
As a major international company, ING has a responsibility to make a positive contribution to society. We thereby focus on children and education, financial education and protecting the environment. Our employees are the cornerstone of the success of our community investment programmes in both developed and developing communities. They are committed to donate money or do voluntary work for our global programmes or for one of the many programmes that have been developed by our local branches.