SEB awarded the Platinum category of Sustainability Index 2021

For the fifth time in a row, SEB was awarded the Platinum Category of the Sustainability Index 2021, one of the highest sustainability ratings for companies that meet international requirements in all areas of corporate social responsibility.

The award in the Platinum category of the Sustainability Index supports that SEB pursues a mindful business strategy, promotes good governance practices by creating a clean and transparent business environment, supports entrepreneurs in making changes in the area of sustainability, reduces direct impact on the environment and cares for its employees and customers, including with regard to providing sustainable financial services solutions and service development.

Ieva Tetere, CEO of SEB , says: “I am proud of the SEB team and its consistently high performance in the Sustainability index. Sustainability has been in our DNA for a very long time, but this year we are especially pleased as companies and institutions have been particularly active in the area of sustainability. I am not afraid to say that 2021 will be the year of the most ambitious sustainability performance to date, in terms of public discussions and exchange of views, as well as real, practical work. We have made positive progress.”

Looking ahead, what does our national Sustainability Index look like and what contribution can we make?

“The Sustainability Index gives us the opportunity to strive for excellence in our companies, organizations or institutions, and it is a great, healthy driving force. Looking ahead, however, we need to think about how we can meaningfully manage these individual performances on a national level,” says Ieva Tetere.

“We are all connected - our successes and processes must be based on the idea of adding value to society as a whole. What is our country's sustainability index? Are we doing enough, and what is the sum of the individual achievements? I think there is a lot of work to be done in this area. Perhaps the moment a certain level of individual excellence is reached is the best time to support others, which would lead to an even greater contribution.”

Ieva Tetere also encourages looking at Sustainability Index results in a broader context. "First and foremost, I encourage the highest scoring companies to be proactive in driving the discussion around overall national sustainability, as success at the national level is determined by us. It would also be worthwhile for the government to think about some benefits for companies that consistently perform well in the Sustainability Index. In any case, to be successful in the field of sustainability, there must be mechanisms of cooperation that are mutually supportive.”

Over 90 companies and organizations participated in the Sustainability Index this year. Of these, 23 companies qualified as companies in the PLATINUM category, 15 companies received a certificate in the GOLD category, 19 companies and organizations qualified as companies in the SILVER category, and 10 companies qualified as companies in the BRONZE category.