CSR: Our previous efforts

Spuerkeess joins the movement to reduce the consumption of disposable plastic by 2020 and commits to renounce to the purchase and distribution of items that contribute most massively to plastic pollution, in particular: plastic cups, disposable plastic plates, cutlery, straws and mixing sticks, one-way food containers, plastic bottles and non-reusable plastic bags. Spuerkeess thus supports the development of sustainable solutions in connection with the circular economy according to the principles: Renounce - Reduce - Reuse - Recycle.

More than 8 million cigarette butts are thrown away every minute around the world. And 2/3 of the cigarette butts end up in the wild, on sidewalks or in sewers. These cigarette butts take 15 years to decompose.

In order to reduce the negative impact on nature, Spuerkeess, with the help of Shime and MéGO! will recycle cigarette butts collected on its premises.

On 13 November, Spuerkeess organised the first conference at the "Liberté 19" Banking Centre, which aimed to provide a concrete overview of the impact of climate change on the most important sectors, while proposing solutions to improve resilience.

Many guests were invited to speak, including Pierre Gramegna, Luxembourg Minister of Finance, and Françoise Thoma, CEO of Spuerkeess.

We are proud to be able to draw a first, very positive evaluation from our co-operation with Youth&Work. They have managed to find a job or training place for 8 of the 10 young people who were unemployed and in a personal crisis. In two cases, Youth&Work continues to help actively in the job search. Each of them will continue to receive regular assistance over the next 12 months.

Thanks also to all the generous donors via S-Net, who made it possible to admit additional young people to the program and to accompany them.

Further information about this initiative can be found here:

Remaining true to its social mission and in keeping with the spirit of solidarity that characterises its CSR initiative, Spuerkeess is proud to announce its association with Youth & Work through its youth support project that helps young people who are trying to find a job or an apprenticeship.

Spuerkeess is proud to announce its support for the "Zuumer Academy" project of the ABBL and its Foundation for Financial Education. Mastering money management and its understanding in a complex socio-economic context is a key factor in enabling everyone to make informed personal and professional decisions while guaranteeing unfailing financial security. The aim of the Zuumer Academy is to teach basic financial concepts through various modules lasting 1 ½ h over 10 days (savings, means of payment, budget management, dealing with risks, etc.) specially designed to help learners to better manage their personal finances with confidence and to understand the relationship with their bank.

In order to refresh and digitise its financial education initiatives, Spuerkeess has created the Spuerkeess Code Club in partnership with Code Club Luxembourg. The club offers young people aged 8 to 11 the opportunity to prepare for the future by giving them the essential skills and tools they will need to thrive in the digital world.

Principles for responsible banking: 3 years already! As a member of this global community, we are leading the way in integrating sustainability into all our banking activities to ensure a positive contribution for people and the planet. Today marks the third anniversary of these principles and we are proud to have been part of the initiative from the start. Our efforts demonstrate our commitment to our responsible banking strategy and practices, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. Join us in celebrating this important occasion and watch the video of our CEO Françoise Thoma and our Head of Sustainability Rodolphe Belli, who talk about our actions.

A year has now passed since the UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) launched the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB).

Spuerkeess is actively engaged in various working groups of the UNEP FI PRB to identify leading practice and to create the necessary tools and processes for a growing sustainable banking sector.

The active exchange of knowledge among UNEP FI PRB members leads to the common goal of implementing sustainability criteria in all banking business activities and creating new products and services that will lead to a more sustainable future.

Spuerkeess attaches great importance in building up and implementing the necessary knowledge and expertise internally. Therefore, we cooperate with our local scientific community and put great emphasis on active further professional education and research.

From 28 to 29 November 2019, the European Convention Center Luxembourg in Kirchberg hosted the "UNEP FI (United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative) European" Round Table, hosted by Luxembourg for Finance, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development.

This round table, which brought together not only many representatives of the European financial sector, but also other stakeholders such as politicians, environmental and social organisations, etc., focused on the key topics of Sustainable Finance: changes in key regulations, market challenges, the role of the asset management industry, and above all the contribution of capital markets to a low-carbon economy.

As a new member of the Principles for Responsible Banking, Spuerkeess was represented by its CEO Françoise Thoma, who was the guest of the panel "Implementing the Principles for Responsible Banking in Europe". Emphasis was placed on climate protection, the need for an intelligent transition policy and the importance of financial education.

Spuerkeess is proud to announce its membership as the first Luxembourg banking participant in the United Nations Principles for Responsible Banking. The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) is a global partnership between the United Nations and banking sector stakeholders. The "Principles for Responsible Banking" encourage banks to adopt environmental, social and governance criteria and aim to promote sustainable finance.

We care about the children's rights! For this reason and on the occasion of World Children's Day, we supported UNICEF Luxembourg by illuminating our "Tiermchen" in blue for UNICEF's campaign #GoBlue.