HSBC
already one of the few banks of its size globally that was already talking about sustainability or climate change and helping clients transition .
“ I remember my first day I went through an orientation and they told a story about a huge client that was the leading destroyer of rainforests to make paper products ,” Fisher recalls . “ And we could have walked away from them and a dozen other banks would have snatched them up and started financing them exactly as-is . And instead we transitioned them . And now they ' re the leading FSC provider of paper goods . And that was astonishing to me that that was part of my HR process day one – not ‘ here ' s the bathroom ’ and ‘ here ' s where your computer is ’, but that story .
“ Now I feel like if anything , the world has changed and we have to retain that leadership role and push ourselves harder than we ' ve ever pushed . We ' ve always known that sustainability and sustainable finance were key to us being around for another 150 plus years . And now every other bank is saying the same .”
Sustainability is a constantly evolving challenge and so even though HSBC may have been a pioneer and enjoys a leadership position right now , it has to keep developing to maintain its pole position . This is not something lost on Fisher , who agrees that a leading bank can quickly become “ a laggard ” if they don ’ t invest in their own efforts and set ambitious yet attainable goals .
So right now HSBC has an aggressive net zero strategy and has hired a PhD scientist as its new Group Chief Sustainability Officer . Dr Celine Herweijer joins this month ( July 2021 ) from PwC where she held roles including Global Climate Change Leader . Herweijer has held
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