On May 13, the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook (China Edition) 2025 was released in Shenzhen, with China's Industrial Bank (CIB) becoming the only bank in China to be included in the yearbook for two consecutive years.
CIB has actively explored a Chinese-style ESG development path, treating ESG as a connector to promote the coordinated development of the “Five Major Topics,” leveraging financial strength to support the harmonious and sustainable development of the economy, society, and environment. In 2024, CIB comprehensively upgraded its ESG management system, fully integrating ESG into corporate strategy, major decisions, daily operations, and employee behavior, establishing a sustainability decision-making and management mechanism that leads the industry.
Green is the foundation of high-quality development. CIB continues to enhance its reputation as a “green bank,” driving the green and low-carbon transformation of the economy and society. In 2024, following the financial service logic of “financing, investing, fundraising, and capital attraction,” CIB upgraded its product and service system across three levels: “diversified group products + specialized carbon neutrality services + targeted industry solutions,” with “green commercial banking + green investment banking + green retail” as the core and “green leasing + green trust + green funds” as supplements. As of the end of 2024, the Group's green finance balance increased by 15.88% year-on-year to RMB 2.19 trillion, of which the green loan balance under the central bank's definition rose by 19.64% year-on-year to RMB 967.9 billion. The supported green projects are estimated to save 10.5 million tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25.24 million tons annually.
CIB actively responded to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's “Climate Neutral Now” initiative. Aligning with its carbon neutrality timeline, the bank promoted green and low-carbon operations in areas such as green offices, green travel, green procurement, and green buildings, and also released the “CIB Ten Green Civilization Conventions,” fostering a green culture where “everyone practices ESG.” By the end of 2024, the group's total greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 2.55% year-on-year, with per capita emissions down 14.81% compared to 2020.
CIB has always adhered to its original mission of serving the people through finance, and delivering financial services with a human touch. The bank prioritized small and micro enterprises, agriculture-related entities, and individual businesses as key targets for inclusive financial support, helping to expand the accessibility, coverage, and satisfaction of financial services. By the end of 2024, the number of small and micro enterprise clients under inclusive loans totaled 47,300, with female-owned small and micro enterprises accounting for about 23%. The balance of inclusive loans to small and micro enterprises exceeded RMB 550 billion. The bank actively conducted diversified financial education activities, organizing nearly 20,000 public financial literacy events, reaching over 200 million people. The bank focuses on building a talent development system that “attracts and nurtures talent, optimizes structure, and enhances efficiency.” CIB was selected as one of the “Top 100 Employers in China” in the 2024 Zhaopin China Best Employer Awards and honored as the “Most Socially Responsible Campus Employer” in the “NFuture Best Campus Employer Awards.”
S&P Global, founded in 1925, is a world-leading provider of financial data and information services. The “Sustainability Yearbook (China Edition)” is the only regional sustainability yearbook published by S&P Global. Since its inaugural release in 2023, it has been published annually for three consecutive years, with the mission to identify and honor companies that demonstrate outstanding sustainability leadership across various industries.