Sustainability Pages

Climate Change and Environmental Responsibility

CIB Group is committed to expanding its range of green products and services that support climate action and the transition to a low-carbon economy. The bank helps its clients reduce their environmental footprint by financing renewable energy, energy efficiency and circular solutions. The sustainable credit rating framework ensures that these solutions are available in a transparent and responsible manner. 
The product range supporting environmental sustainability includes products supporting sustainability in both housing loans and personal loans, in addition to which there is also a product targeting residential energy efficiency investments. 

 

1. Sustainable lending and services for a circular, low-carbon economy

Corporate banking

Within the corporate segment, the bank incentivizes clients to pursue green and circular investments and developments through preferential pricing. This includes projects related to renewable energy, energy efficiency investments, and efficiency-improving technological upgrades.

Currently available corporate products supporting sustainability:

• Széchenyi Restart Investment Loan MAX+ – financing scheme supporting energy efficiency improvements and technology upgrades
• Agricultural Széchenyi Restart Investment Loan MAX+ – financing scheme supporting energy efficiency improvements and technology upgrades
• Széchenyi Restart Investment Loan MAX+ – ‘GREEN’ sub-scheme supporting green transition and sustainable development-related financing purposes
• Green dedicated S-Loan product and general-purpose S-Loan offer
• Circular Economy offer

Renewable energy and energy storage initiatives

There was strong market demand (large companies and SME’s) for self-generation of renewable energy and energy storage solutions, particularly for:

• solar photovoltaic systems,
• battery-based energy storage solutions,
• heat pump systems,
• biomass-, biogas-, and biomethane-based technologies.

The objective of companies is to reduce dependence on the power grid, smooth consumption peaks, and establish a more predictable energy cost structure.

Bank financing typically appeared in a combined form, where own funds were complemented by EU or state non-repayable grants, as well as preferential or interest-subsidized loans.

Environmental sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in financing activities of the corporate business line. 

Renewable energy-related financing—such as projects for photovoltaic solar power plants and biogas plants—as well as transition-supporting and energy investment loans are gaining an expanding share within the bank’s loan portfolio.

The bank’s financing portfolio continues to grow steadily. By the end of 2025, the total value of the corporate portfolio amounted to HUF 922 billion, while the retail portfolio reached HUF 926 billion. The closing balance of sustainable and social loans stood at HUF 60 billion in the corporate segment and HUF 210 billion in the retail segment.

Sustainable finance is gaining an increasingly prominent role in the bank’s operations. While the share of sustainable loans increased significantly in the retail portfolio (45.8%), it declined in the corporate segment (22%).

In addition, the bank continues to explore opportunities to provide financing under green refinancing frameworks made available by refinancing institutions. Examples include the EXIMBANK green refinancing program and the Széchenyi Restart Investment Loan MAX+ green program, both available at CIB Bank. As the eligibility criteria and framework conditions of these financing solutions differ, the bank can meet a wide range of client needs.

Small Business

In the small business segment, in line with its ESG principles and the MNB’s Green Recommendations, CIB Bank places a strong focus on the digitalization of its services. An online account offer preparation platform and fully online corporate account opening are already available to small businesses. More than 470 small business accounts were opened entirely online. 

In lending, in addition to its own loan products, the bank primarily supported enterprises through products of the KAVOSZ Széchenyi Card Program (Széchenyi Card Program MAX+).

Retail Segment

Replacing the previously introduced dedicated green interest rate discount (effective from 1 February 2023), CIB Bank launched its dedicated green mortgage products on 1 September 2025, including: 

• CIB 10 Green Certified Consumer-Friendly Housing Loan, and
• CIB Green Fixed-Rate Housing Loan.

These green mortgage products are available for financing the purchase and construction of new low-energy residential properties, as well as for the modernization and renovation of existing properties aimed at improving their energy efficiency. Eligibility requires either at least a 30% reduction in primary energy consumption or an improvement of two energy rating classes.

With the introduction of new green loans for purposes such as modernization and renovation, the bank is committed to enabling customers to upgrade the existing housing stock, making it more sustainable and energy-efficient, thereby optimizing and reducing energy consumption.

Green loan purposes gained increasing importance in housing finance, particularly for new property purchases and construction, for which the new green mortgage products provide appropriate financing solutions.

In the second half of 2025, a state-subsidized housing loan for property purchase (new or existing) and construction became available, capturing a significant share of the market. However, this product cannot be used for renovation or modernization purposes. The bank remains committed to serving customers seeking to renovate and improve the energy efficiency of their existing properties.

 

2. Direct environmental impact

CIB Bank’s environmental operations are guided by the ethical, environmental, and energy policies of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, under which the Bank monitors and reduces the environmental impact of its operations. Responsible resource use, energy efficiency, and the application of sustainable procurement practices form an integral part of daily operations. A unified energy and environmental management approach ensures that CIB Bank contributes consistently and transparently to sustainable operations. 

Greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption

Energy Policy of CIB Bank Ltd.

The management of CIB Bank Ltd. declares its commitment to reducing unnecessary energy consumption, improving energy efficiency, and - within the framework of its social responsibility - to ensuring a high level of compliance with applicable EU directives. The bank is also committed to maintaining and continuously improving a modern, integrated energy management system. 

Our primary objective is to maintain customer trust, safeguard the reputation of CIB Bank Ltd., and sustain and enhance our market position through the effective operation of our energy management system. To this end, the bank complies with all applicable legal requirements related to energy management, as well as other undertaken commitments; continuously improves its energy performance indicators and energy management system; ensures the availability of information and resources necessary to achieve its energy management objectives; integrates energy efficiency as a key consideration into procurement processes, renovation projects, and new construction plans; strives to prevent environmental pollution and reduce environmental impact and energy consumption by strengthening employee awareness and responsibility for energy efficiency; encourages employees to actively contribute to the achievement of corporate objectives and the improvement of process efficiency. The Energy Policy forms an integral and aligned part of the overall corporate policy and strategy of CIB Bank Ltd.

ISO 50001 at CIB Bank

The transition to renewable energy is a key driver of long-term sustainable development for both society and the economy. Recognizing this, the Intesa Sanpaolo Group and CIB Bank place strong emphasis on reducing energy consumption, limiting the use of fossil fuels, and ensuring that energy required for operations is sourced from renewable energy wherever possible.

To support energy-efficient operations, CIB Bank has been applying for the ISO 50001 energy management system since 2016, providing a structured framework for planning, monitoring, and continuous improvement of energy use. In December 2025, the bank successfully renewed its ISO 50001:2018 certification, reaffirming for another three years its commitment to improving energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigating environmental impact.

The energy management system supports conscious and responsible energy use in day-to-day operations through the application of the Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) cycle.

The CIB Group covers 30% of its total electricity consumption through the procurement of green electricity (under a contract with a solar power park), while the remaining electricity demand is offset through the purchase of green electricity certificates.

CIB Bank implemented several successful energy efficiency and climate protection measures across its branch network and headquarters, contributing to the reduction of environmental impact and the optimization of energy consumption. Within the branch network, internal lighting systems were modernized, replacing faulty fixtures with energy-efficient LED light sources.

The bank carried out smaller-scale technical upgrades in its branches, including the modernization of fan coils, radiators, and thermostats, to improve the efficiency of heating and cooling systems. At the headquarters, zoning of the air distribution system of the heat pump installation was implemented in office areas, enabling more targeted and efficient energy use.

In several branches, heat pump-based heating and cooling systems were installed to ensure more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly operations, while at certain locations upgrades to the heating systems further contributed to improved energy efficiency.

Taken together, these measures support CIB Bank’s long-term objective of reducing energy consumption and mitigating the impacts of climate change.

Sustainable employee commuting and fleet decarbonization

Commuting by bicycle

The bank continued to actively support environmentally friendly transport solutions, in particular commuting by bicycle, which remained popular among employees. Bicycle storage facilities were fully utilized throughout the year.

The bank provided electric bicycles at five regional branch locations and conventional bicycles at an additional eight locations, supporting low-emission mobility for both business and daily operations. 

Branch employees using electric bicycles travelled a total of 4,084 kilometers, which—based on calculations—replaced the consumption of more than 200 liters of fossil fuel. 

These measures contributed to reducing the environmental impact of the bank’s operations and further strengthened its commitment to sustainable mobility among employees, clients, and partners. 

Greening of corporate mobility and fleet

The bank took significant steps to reduce the environmental impact of its corporate mobility. It revised its company car policy, resulting in the exclusive procurement of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or fully electric vehicles. As a result, by year-end, 67% of the fleet consisted of energy-efficient vehicles, and the average fuel consumption per vehicle decreased to 5 liters per 100 km.

A total of 38 conventional petrol and diesel vehicles were replaced with more energy-efficient alternatives:

• 6 fully electric (EV),
• 15 hybrid (HEV),
• 18 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles were added to the fleet.

The green transition was further supported by infrastructure development: 31 units of 11 kW electric charging points were installed in the underground garage of the headquarters building.

Employee business mobility was also supported through the GreenGo electric car-sharing service, which was used for approximately 8,000 kilometers. In addition, in Budapest, electric and hybrid vehicles accounted for nearly 80% of all taxi journeys taken for business purposes.

The bank also promoted environmentally conscious transportation through awareness-raising initiatives: several informational sessions were held for branch managers and their deputies on energy-efficient solutions for business travel.

Together, these measures contributed to making the Bank’s operations more energy-efficient and lowering emissions.

GoGreener Initiative

The bank joined the Mastercard GoGreener initiative, encouraging its employees to collect sustainably travelled kilometers between their homes and workplaces from 2 to 30 September. The aim was to promote the use of lower-emission modes of transport for commuting, such as public transport, cycling, scooters, or walking.

Employees who recorded the kilometers travelled in an environmentally friendly way on an online platform, collectively reaching a total of 40,179 kilometers using sustainable transport modes.

Responsible resource management

The bank further strengthened its environmental programs supporting responsible resource management, with a particular focus on the conscious use of energy and paper. Branch managers received detailed monthly feedback on electricity, gas, and water consumption at their respective branches. This was complemented by regional energy forums, providing opportunities for joint analysis of the data and sharing of best practices.

Alongside a reduction in sanitary paper usage, the bank ensured that resource management remained transparent, traceable at organizational level, and subject to continuous improvement.

These measures contributed to making the bank’s operations more efficient and environmentally conscious.

Green culture and environmental initiatives

The bank actively supported the promotion of environmentally conscious thinking and responsible behavior among its clients, employees, and local communities. For many years, it has participated in awareness-raising initiatives aimed at highlighting the importance of environmental challenges and encouraging action.

Among its environmental actions, the Earth Hour initiative, launched by WWF, remained a key highlight, which the bank joined again. As part of the program, the non-essential exterior lighting of the headquarters was switched off—not only for one hour, but for the entire weekend—resulting in energy savings of 14.7 kWh, while also symbolically drawing attention to the importance of climate protection.

Raising awareness and sharing knowledge continued to play an important role. The bank regularly published environmental content on its social media and internal communication platforms. Linked to various international awareness days, topics such as environmental protection, combating desertification, reducing plastic bag usage, and limiting car dependency were brought into focus. In addition, the bank joined the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, supporting conscious consumption through educational materials. 

Through these initiatives, the CIB Group remained a visible and credible advocate of environmental awareness, further strengthening its commitment to sustainability across all levels of its operations.

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