ACLEDA Bank – which since its founding has been dedicated to improving the quality of living for all segments of the community – is committed to corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts across the Kingdom.

As “the Bank You Can Trust, the Bank for the People”, its ethical focus is reflected in working practices that are principled and honest, and that benefit Cambodian society.

ACLEDA is committed to respecting the environment and community while achieving strong, sustainable financial returns, and so subscribes to the “people, planet, profit” triple bottom line concept.

Its dedication to CSR saw the bank win the Asiamoney “Cambodia’s Best bank for CSR 2020” award.

The UK-based, leading Asia-focused financial publication praised ACLEDA’s CSR efforts for spanning “a much wider spectrum than many of its peers” and highlighted its longstanding focus on the environment.

“The bank treats its CSR work as a more systematic responsibility than scattered acts of kindness.

“It has published an Environmental and Social Sustainability Report within its annual report each year since 2002 – one year before it even received its licence from the National Bank of Cambodia to conduct a full range of banking services,” Asiamoney said.

ACLEDA currently employs five full-time environmental officers who regularly undertake training and refresher courses to coordinate the bank’s environmental activities and monitor performance.

Cambodia’s largest bank also supports renewable energy by providing loans related to biogas and solar.

ACLEDA is a regular donor to the Cambodia Kantha Bopha Foundation and the Cambodian Red Cross, as well as the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.

The bank’s donation of three billion riel ($744,000) to support the Cambodian government’s efforts in combating Covid-19 was highlighted by Asiamoney, as was its contributions to a wide range of initiatives, including the Airavata Khmer Elephant Foundation and the Cambodian Women Entrepreneurs Association.

“The Bank You Can Trust, the Bank for the People”, ACLEDA is proud to say its “corporate culture is built on respect for the society in which we operate and an inclusive perspective on our stakeholders embracing not just shareholders and staff, customers and business partners but the community at large”.

And this reflected in it being an equal opportunities employer, one that provides medical, provident fund and other benefits to its staff, and aims to be the most progressive in the Kingdom.

“The Bank You Can Trust, the Bank for the People”, ACLEDA fully subscribes to international conventions which prohibit the provision of credit to, or otherwise support, any activities that might harm the environment, be morally abhorrent or jeopardise human rights.

It also follows the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) rules on regulated wildlife or wildlife products.

The bank has in place strict policies which forbid involvement with exploitative forms of forced or child labour, trade in weapons and munitions, gambling, casinos or brothels.

Strict monitoring processes are in place which require customer contact staff to certify that any business conforms to these principles.

ACLEDA says there four key elements in its environmental and social sustainability (ESS) mission statement.

These are to provide a framework of guidelines within which the bank can operate in a sustainable manner so that its impact on the environment, society and the community in which it operate is managed in a responsible way.

The bank aims to continue to introduce energy efficient systems into its buildings and to manage sensibly its energy requirements wherever we operate.

ACLEDA seeks to honour Cambodian society to promote an inclusive culture embracing not just shareholders and staff, customers and business partners, but respect for the individual within the community.

It also recognises that supporting the community is not just morally sound but also good business – that “good health” and “prosperity” are mutually interdependent.

And with its commitment to CSR efforts across the Kingdom, its ethical focus and its dedication to its ESS mission, ACLEDA Bank is living up to its motto – by truly being “the Bank You Can Trust, the Bank for the People”.