Overview of ESG Guidelines

Sustainability is an integral part of our identity. It is the basis of our actions. It will continue to be a key driver of our business model. Our strategy update, Corporate Concept 10, builds on this. The corporate concept is supplemented by sub-strategies. These include the sustainability strategy and the diversity strategy.

  • Sustainability Strategy

    The sustainability strategy describes how we understand sustainability at DKB and summarizes our medium and long-term strategic goals, measures and fields of action for the future.

    Sustainability Strategy
  • Diversity Strategy

    To promote and further develop diversity within DKB, we have developed a group-wide diversity strategy for DKB and established the position of Chief of Diversity.

    Diversity Strategy
  • Investment and Financing Principles

    The investment and financing principles include our positive concept and the exclusion criteria for granting loans.

    Investment and Financing Principles
  • Depot A Sustainability Guideline

    The sustainability guideline applies to the entire Depot A of DKB AG. Our Depot A consists of the liquidity portfolio on the one hand and a proprietary portfolio of exclusively sustainable DKB mutual funds on the other.

    Depot A Sustainability Guideline
  • Corporate Governance Principles

    Corporate Governance Principles summarize the regulations on corporate management and monitoring that apply to DKB on the grounds of binding or self-imposed requirements.

    Corporate Governance Grundsätze
  • Code of Conduct

    The Code of Conduct sets out principles for all of our daily actions and DKB's ethical and moral perspective on business activities.

    Code of Conduct
  • Sustainability Agreement

    This sustainability agreement describes DKB's principles and requirements for our contractors in the procurement of products and for external service providers in the provision of services.

    Sustainability Agreement
  • Diversity Charter

    By signing this voluntary pledge, we are committing ourselves as a sustainable employer to upholding and promoting equal opportunities for all employees.

    Charta der Vielfalt

Overview of ESG Frameworks

Our ESG frameworks form the overarching technical framework for determining which financing options and products we consider as sustainable. Market standards and regulatory frameworks are taken into account.

  • Sustainable Lending Framework

    In our Sustainable Lending Framework, we transparently demonstrate how we distinguish financing from sustainable financing in practice. The sustainability rating agency ISS ESG has conducted a review of the Sustainable Lending Framework.

    Sustainable Lending Framework
  • Green Bond Framework 2020

    The practical implementation of our Green Bond Framework is based on the standards formulated by the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) - the Green Bond Principles.

    Green Bond Framework
  • Social Bond Framework 2018

    The practical implementation of our Social Bond Framework is based on the standards formulated by the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) - the Social Bond Principles.

    Social Bond Framework

Overview of ESG-Related Reports

Along with the sustainability report, DKB publishes the following reports with ESG references.

  • Sustainability Report

    In our annual sustainability report, we reflect on our sustainability strategy and performance.

    Sustainability Report
  • Environmental Statement

    In our environmental statement, we have defined individual measures and targets for the areas of electricity, heat and water consumption, management system, CO2 emissions, waste, procurement of office materials and paper, employees, biodiversity and business trips.

    Umwelterklärung
  • Annual Report

    The annual report covers the combined management report of the DKB Group and DKB AG for the 2023 financial year.

    Annual Report
  • Remuneration Report

    The remuneration report summarizes the remuneration systems valid for the 2021 financial year for all employees and in particular for employees whose activities have a significant influence on the overall risk profile of DKB AG or the DKB Group (risk takers), as well as the remuneration system of the members of the Board of Management.

    Vergütungsbericht
  • Disclosure Report

    In the Disclosure Report, we disclose the qualitative and quantitative information required annually in accordance with the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR).

    Offenlegungsbericht
  • Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation

    The declaration on the Disclosure Regulation 2019/2088 can be accessed here.

    Offenlegungsverordnung
  • Green und Social Bonds

    We issue Green and Social Bonds. Detailed information can be found here. The Impact & Allocation Report measures the sustainable impact of projects refinanced with the help of our Green and Social Bonds.

    Impact & Allocation Report 2022

ESG Products for Private Customers

We offer the following sustainable products for our private customers:

  • Sustainability Fund Climate Protection

    With the DKB Sustainability Fund Climate Protection, the portfolio's CO2 emissions are monitored on an ongoing basis.

    Nachhaltigkeitsfonds Klimaschutz
  • Sustainability Fund SDG

    The DKB Sustainability Fund SDG focuses on the ecological and social impact of the portfolio.

    Nachhaltigkeitsfonds SDG
  • Sustainability Fund European Green Deal

    The DKB Sustainability Fund European Green Deal focuses on companies with a high ESG quality.

    Nachhaltigkeitsfonds European Green Deal
  • Green Construction Financing

    Customers who build, buy or modernize a building with an energy efficiency class A or A+ receive an attractive interest rate discount of 0.20 percentage points for the period of the first fixed borrowing rate.

    Grüne Baufinanzierung
  • DKB-Crowd

    DKB-Crowd enables private customers to invest in attractive, high-yield projects and preferably regional companies.

    DKB-Crowd
  • DKB-Bürgersparen

    With DKB Bürgersparen, you involve local citizens in a regional project via a savings product.

    DKB-Bürgersparen

ESG-Ratings

We regularly have external agencies review our performance and progress in sustainability. This way, we identify potential for improving the sustainable bank. The rating agencies we select assess us using comprehensive and recognized methods.

  • ISS ESG

    ISS ESG assesses the sustainability performance of a company based on around 100 industry-specific criteria. In 2022, DKB received a B- rating from ISS ESG for the eighth time in a row, the highest grade awarded by the rating agency from over 270 banks in the "Financials/Public & Regional Banks" sector worldwide. As in the previous year, this corresponds to Prime Status, Decile Rank 1 and an industry leader classification.

  • Sustainalytics

    Based on a robust materiality framework, Sustainalytics' ESG risk ratings provide a quantitative and absolute measure of unmanaged ESG risks. Sustainalytics assesses the overall risk for DKB as medium. This depends on the sub-sector. DKB has an overall low risk, as material ESG issues are addressed and thus strong ESG risk management is in place. DKB is among the top 11 % in the peer group of 440 banks.

  • Sustainable Fitch

    Sustainable Fitch's assessment of ESG factors is based on an analysis of actions, results, impacts and activities, in addition to the general principles and commitments. DKB received a score of 2 in the Corporate Assessment category, a score of 1 for the Green Bond Framework and a score of 2 for the Social Bond Framework on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the best score.

Initiatives and Memberships

DKB is a member of over 200 associations and federations. In addition to the specific industry associations, DKB is also a member of the relevant trade associations for the customer groups and segments. As part of its membership, the topic of sustainability is further developed and promoted together with other stakeholders. The following initiatives and memberships, among others, have a strong ESG focus:

Sustainability within the Group

DKB AG is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bayerische Landesbank. The standards, guidelines and policies listed here apply to all corporate units of BayernLB and therefore also to DKB AG as a sub-group.

  • Consolidated Financial Statements of BayernLB

    The information in BayernLB's combined management report relates to the BayernLB Group as a whole.

    Consolidated Financial Statements of BayernLB
  • Guiding Principles for Transformation

    The guiding principles for transformation are a transparent framework for BayernLB and its subsidiaries in which we bundle, update and publish our stance on important challenges of our time, our existing self-image and values, general ethical, environmental and social standards and policies on sensitive topics and sectors.

    Guiding Principles for Transformation
  • Sustainability and Environmental Policy

    The BayernLB sustainability and environmental policy applies to its subsidiaries, including DKB AG as a subgroup.

    Sustainability and Environmental Policy