Ethical banking
Social Banking describes a certain type of private sector banking operations which take particular social and environmental concerns and thus feels particularly committed to sustainability.
Term
The concept of " social banking " is not clearly defined place in the media and scientific publications in addition to the usual German term Social Bank, the notion of " ethical bank" or " Ökobank ". In science, also the particular orientation to values and the real economy is highlighted. A clear definition for social business that dates back to the Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus is difficult.
History
The modern roots of so-called responsible investments seen by some authors in the 1920s, the civil rights and environmental movements of the 1960s and in the fight against apartheid in South Africa. With the cooperative banks since the mid-19th century in Germany are already a precursor of social banks. As the oldest so-called "social Banks ' refers to the German GLS Bank, founded in 1974, and the Dutch Triodos Bank, which in 1980 took up their business.
Business
The social and ethical banks offer in principle on the same business as normal banks, ie: current accounts as well as investment banking. The business, therefore, the economic base of the banking business is not completely in question, but extends this to include additional methods and components. It is, however, expressly refer to the required " for humans and the environment" and mandatory exclusion criteria for the entire banking business. Also, includes the complete transparency to the allocation of credits to meet the basic criteria. This basic attitude is different "social Banks " by other banks or credit institutions that offer the well, but not only sustainable products. Social banking can be defined as the development and improvement of financial services, which are preserved and promoted disadvantaged areas, groups and sectors of the economy to market returns on capital. It therefore sees itself as " Marktvergrößerer ", with the aim to create a sustainable social solidarity and ecologically oriented economy. In the younger players in the social banking, for example, Credit platforms, the " Social" is interpreted more methodically, in the sense of " collective action ". This second, internet-based generation is characterized by direct exchange and a transparent connection between investors, borrowers and financial institution.
List of ethical banks
Europe ( list without umbrella organization )
- GLS Bank
- Ethics Bank ( with a branch in Austria )
- Environment Bank
- Alternative Bank Switzerland
- Charity Bank
- Co -operative Bank
- Reliance Bank
- Shared Interest
- Ecology Building Society
- Triodos Bank, The Netherlands ( with offices in the UK, Belgium, Germany and Spain)
- Member JAK Bank, Sweden ( interest-free banking )
- La Nef, France, Member febea.org
- Crédit coopératif, France, Member febea.org
- Cultura Sparebank, Norway, Member febea.org
- Oikos Bank, Denmark
- Banca Etica, Italy, Member febea.org
- Community Bank, Hungary
Europe ( list of umbrella organization FEBEA )
The Fédération Européenne des Banques et Ethiques Alternatives ( FEBEA, " European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks " = European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks ) belong to other banks following:
- Bank for Social Economy
- APS Bank Malta
- BBK Solidarioa, (BKK = Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa ), Spain
- Caixa Pollenca, Spain
- Cassa Centrale de Cassa Rurale, Italy
- Credal, Belgium
- CS du Nord -Pas -de- Calais, France
- Ekobanken, Sweden
- Etimos, Italy
- Femu Quì, France
- Fiare, Spain
- Hefboom, Belgium
- Integra, Slovakia
- Merkur Cooperative Bank, Denmark
- Oekogeno
- SIDI ( Solidarité Internationale pour le SIDI = Développement et l' Investissement ), France
- SIFA, ( SIFA = SOCIETE D' FRANCE ACTIVE INVESTMENT ), France
- TISE SA, ( TISE = Towarzystwo inwestycji społeczno - EKONOMICZNYCH ), Poland
North America
- RSF Social Finance, USA
- Citizens Bank, Canada
Oceania
- Prometheus, New Zealand