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Burgan Bank Joins Regional Sustainability Leaders with Inclusion in FTSE4Good Index Series

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KUWAIT CITY, Jul 29: Burgan Bank announced its inclusionas a constituent in the FTSE4Good Index Series, an ‎affirmation of its unwavering commitment to ESG best practices. Developed by global index ‎and data provider FTSE Russell, the FTSE4Good Index Series is a globally recognized ‎benchmark that measures the performance of companies demonstrating strong Environmental, ‎Social, and Governance (ESG) practices.These indices are widely used by investors and asset ‎managers to incorporate ESG factors into their investment decisions, as well as to create and ‎evaluate responsible investment funds and related financial products.‎

Built on transparent management standards and rigorous assessment criteria, FTSE Russell’s ‎evaluations consider performance in areas such as corporate governance, health &safety, anti-‎corruption,and climate change.  Companies included in the FTSE4Good Index Series ‎demonstrate compliance with a variety of stringent ESG criteria.‎

Commenting on this accomplishment, Mr. Fadel Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer – Kuwait at ‎Burgan Bank, stated: “We are honored to beone of the five organizations in Kuwait recognized ‎by globally renowned FTSE Russell for our unwavering efforts to adopt the best ESG practices ‎in the banking sector and embed them into our operations, culture, and stakeholder engagement. ‎Burgan’s inclusion in the FTSE4Good Index Series is a testament to our consistent and ‎measurable progress in sustainability practices.Thisrecognition affirms our strategic commitment ‎to sustainable business growth, designedto create a positive impacton our community, industry, ‎and natural environmentwhile supporting a resilient and equitable futurefor all stakeholders.”‎

The inclusion in the FTSE4Good Index Series provides external validation of Burgan Bank’s ‎efforts to align with global sustainability standards and frameworks such as UN Sustainable ‎Development Goals (SDGs), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability Accounting ‎Standards Board (SASB), and Kuwait Vision 2035. This recognition reflects Burgan’s strong ‎ESG agenda, driven by a comprehensive framework and strategic roadmap, under which the ‎Bank has achieved significant progress across its four ESG pillarsof Good ‎Governance,Responsible Banking, Community Betterment, and Environmental Impact ‎Reduction.‎

On the environmental front, Burgan Bank was awarded the LEED Gold certification (O&M v4.1) ‎for its head office, recognizing its exceptionalenergy-efficient design and sustainable operations. ‎The Bank continues to advance its Green House Gas (GHG) mapping and reduction efforts to ‎design a long-term decarbonization strategy.The Bankhas installed electric vehicle (EV) charging ‎stations at its head office and select branches, and motion-sensor lighting to optimize energy ‎efficiencyas well as installed rooftop solar panels for clean renewable energy. Furthermore, the ‎Bank has made concerted efforts for climate risk integration in its credit portfolio.‎

On the social sustainability front, Burgan Bank reaffirmed its recognition as a certified Great ‎Place to Work® and continued to champion diversity and inclusion within its workforce. The Bank ‎surpassed the mandated Kuwaitization target with 86% national representation, while women ‎comprised 45% of its total staff, including strong representation in senior leadership roles. The ‎Bank’s efforts for social sustainability were also evident in its learning and development ‎programs, tailored to address diverse needs and interests. In its pursuit of establishing a culture ‎of healthy work-life balance, Burgan Bank currenly offers five days of fully paid paternity leave, ‎one day of birthday leave, and four self-care days, in addition to the standard annual leave days. ‎The Bank also offers numerous programs, benefits, events, and sporting initiatives for the ‎comprehensive development of its employees. Moreoever, Burgan Bank has launched several ‎initiatives and programs to empower women in the workplace and support their professional ‎development – such as the “Lean In Circle” program and the “Empower Her” initiative. It is worth ‎noting that the Bank is also major supporter of the “Partners for Hire” campaign, which aims to ‎sustainably empower people with disabilities and provide them with job opportunities across ‎various departments. Along the same lines and to cater to this community, Burgan Bank has also ‎allocated six branches to serve customers with disabilities to promote equal access to banking ‎services.‎

As part of its social impact agenda, the Bank maintained its long-standing support for the Kuwait ‎Association for Care of Children in Hospital (KACCH) and Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice ‎‎(BACCH), helping ensure access to vital palliative care services. In 2024, Burgan Bank also ‎partnered with the Kuwait Olympic Committee (KOC) as a sponsor of the national delegation to ‎the Paris 2024 Olympics, reinforcing its commitment to community development and national ‎pride.‎

Burgan Bank remains committed to fostering a strong compliance culture across the ‎organization, focused on preventing financial crime, including money laundering, terrorism ‎financing, fraud, corruption, and bribery. This commitment is underpinned by a robust ‎governance framework that reflects the Bank’s dedication to ethical conduct, responsible ‎leadership, and maintaining the highest standards of security in the banking sector.‎

The Bank’s comprehensive ESG strategy also delivered notableadvancements in digital ‎transformation, particularly in cybersecurity, with the implementation of cutting-edge ‎technologies, AI-driven threat detection, and proactive incident response measures to ensure ‎maximum data protection for all stakeholders.‎

Moreover, Burgan Bank has consistently led the way in transparency and sustainability,reporting ‎its sustainability related efforts and achievements consecutively for thelast six years since 2019. ‎This reinforcesthe Bank’s committedadherence to transparent governance and proactive ‎sustainability leadership,demonstratingits year-on-year improvements in the sustainability and ‎ESG performance.‎

As a trusted financial partner and a bank that is “Driven by You”, Burgan Bank remains ‎dedicated to upholding its responsibility toward its customers, community, and investors, by ‎adopting the highest standards of ESG practices and ensuring that its business success reflects ‎positively on its stakeholders.‎

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