Continual Improvement

Good corporate citizenship is not a static goal, but an ongoing process that requires monitoring, maintenance and a willingness to strive for continual improvement. We have worked hard to bring our sustainability reporting in line with the internationally recognised GRI guidelines – enabling us to evaluate our progress in a standardised manner and benchmark our performance against large listed corporations in Hong Kong and leading financial institutions around the world.

In addition to GRI requirements, the content and structure of our 2014 Report reflects a number of other factors, including:

• Issues identified through the CSR Sustainers workshop (see below)
• Issues arising from stakeholder engagement initiatives
• Issues commonly identified in the banking and finance industry, including benchmarking against other financial institutions
• Use of the materiality assessment and Hang Seng Sustainability Matrix
• Reference to ISO 14001 environmental standards
• Reference to the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Reporting Guide issued by the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited

We continue to promote a business culture that encourages our employees to keep corporate sustainability at the centre of our operations. Our CSR Sustainers play a crucial role in motivating and mentoring their colleagues and ensuring we uphold our principles and enhance our sustainability performance (see box: CSR Best Practice: Building Responsibility From Within).

CSR Best Practice: Building Responsibility From Within
To further enhance employee support for our approach to corporate sustainability, we organised our first inter-departmental CSR Sustainers workshop in 2011. These workshops, which have since become an annual event, help us identify our material corporate sustainability issues and ways in which to further enhance engagement with internal and external stakeholders.
Key responsibilities of our CSR Sustainers include: Ensuring that our day-to-day business operates in line with our sustainability beliefs Collecting and recording data to facilitate sustainability reporting Taking the lead in developing and promoting new sustainability initiatives
We held two CSR forums in 2014 for a total of 550 members of staff. Dr Ko Wing-man, Secretary for Food and Health, shared his insights into the satisfaction and fulfillment that comes from participating in and contributing to volunteer activities. Mr Andrew Fung, Executive Director and Head of Global Banking and Markets of Hang Seng Bank, and Mr Chua Hoi-wai, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, discussed their experiences in planning their careers and taking part in youth work.

Sustainable Business Success: Keystone Principle and Core Values
How we do business reflects our core values, which underlie our decision making, policies and actions. These values also provide the foundation that supports our keystone principle – an unwavering commitment to service excellence.
Keystone Principle
Service Excellence: Achieving service excellence in all our stakeholder relationships is the keystone of our strategy for long-term business success.
Core Values
Courageous Integrity: We act with courageous integrity in all we do, standing firm for what is right, regardless of any pressure to act differently. We make decisions without fear but without ever compromising the high ethical standards and integrity on which our business is built. Our people are dependable, open to different ideas and cultures, and connected to our customers, communities and each other.
Financial Strength: Maintaining strong financial fundamentals gives us the ability to create long-term value for shareholders and make the best possible contribution to community betterment through economic growth and support of social and environmental development.
Leadership and Innovation: We are the leading domestic bank in Hong Kong, with a strong brand, extensive branch network and large base of customers. We work hard to maintain our reputation as a local pioneer in business best practice and as an innovator in product and service development. We lead by example in considering sustainability and corporate responsibility issues.
Transparency and Clear Communication: Our credibility is closely tied to quality of the information we provide to stakeholders. We continue to develop new and effective ways to engage stakeholders to better understand their priorities and concerns and to communicate clearly about all aspects of our business. We establish long-term partnerships with customers, business associates and community groups based on the loyalty and trust we build through championing open dialogue.