A year in the life of Canada's leading international bank: HSBC's 2016 Public Accountability Statement now online

2016 highlights:

• Helping 158,000+ youth access education, the environment & health programs
• Women held 50% of Board of Director roles, and 60% of senior executive positions

VANCOUVER, April 27, 2017 /CNW/ - HSBC Bank Canada's 2016 Public Accountability Statement (PAS) is now available online at www.hsbc.ca/community. The report provides important information and key highlights about HSBC's community investment programs, operational footprint and inclusive employee culture, as well as how we're making banking simpler, better and faster for our customers.

"Our global approach to sustainability focuses on three areas: communities, finance and operations," said Sandra Stuart, President and CEO, HSBC Bank Canada. "Last year, together with our employees and charitable partners, we worked hard to build our business while supporting the communities we serve for the long-term."

Sustainability
Last year HSBC Bank Canada proudly donated $7,133,433 to registered charities and schools across Canada – the largest total annual contribution in our 30+ years in Canada.¹ In turn, this helped more than 158,000 young people access high-quality programs in the areas of education, the environment and children's health.²

HSBC recognizes and supports the move to a low-carbon economy, which will help to limit global temperature rise, in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement.  In 2016, HSBC received an "A" – the highest rating possible – on a wide range of criteria including carbon emissions, NGO engagement and climate risk management from the Carbon Disclosure Project.  

Managing our environmental footprint is not only the right thing to do, it also helps us to be more efficient. By the end of 2016, HSBC's global per employee carbon dioxide emissions had fallen to 2.63 tonnes. This is an important step towards our commitment of cutting carbon emissions per employee from 3.5 to 2.5 tonnes by 2020.               

Our People
Having a diverse workforce enables us to benefit from a variety of perspectives and strengthens our local and global competitiveness. 

In 2016, HSBC Bank Canada's Board of Directors remained gender-balanced, women held more than 60% of senior leadership roles, and 47% of employees in Canada were members of a visible minority. We were also proud to be recognized by the Government of Canada with an Employment Equity Achievement Award for Sector Distinction and Outstanding Commitment in 2016.

Our Customers
We help Canadian companies and globally-minded individuals through three global businesses – providing the tools our customers need to do business internationally and helping individuals manage their finances.

In 2016, we worked hard to make our business simpler, better and faster. We made significant investments in improving our digital and online channels, providing improved security, better experiences and more flexibility for our customers.

HSBC is committed to setting the industry standard when it comes to detecting, deterring and protecting against financial crime. Last year we continued to make significant investments in technology, people and processes to protect our customers, our employees and the financial system; of note, we launched HSBC Safeguard – helping customers understand our commitment to safeguarding them, the bank and the financial system from financial crime.

Our Economic Contributions
HSBC is a long-time contributor to the Canadian economy. In addition to helping Canadian businesses grow, we employed more than 5,800 people across Canada³, provided remuneration to a wide range of other businesses, service providers and suppliers, and also paid an estimated $260m in taxes to various levels of government.⁴

"Canada's 150^th year is marked by economic growth, prosperity, and a commitment to inclusivity," added Stuart. "And as Canada's leading international bank with our own 150 year global history, we look forward to continuing to serve our communities – helping our employees achieve their full potential, and our customers manage their wealth and grow their businesses – for many, many years to come."

Notes to Editors:

1. Includes special funding to eight registered Canadian charities and hospitals via the HSBC 150th Anniversary Community Fund
2. Projected participation over the course of program funding allocated in 2016
3. As of December 2016
4. Applicable tax filing deadlines fall in third quarter 2017
5. HSBC Bank Canada, a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, is the leading international bank in the country. We help companies and individuals across Canada to do business and manage their finances internationally through three global business lines: Commercial Banking, Global Banking and Markets, and Retail Banking and Wealth Management. HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. The Group serves customers worldwide from around 4,000 offices in 70 countries and territories in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,375bn at 31 December 2016, HSBC is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organizations. For more information visit www.hsbc.ca or follow us on Twitter: @hsbc_ca or Facebook: @HSBCCanada

SOURCE HSBC Bank Canada

Media enquiries: Aurora Bonin, [phone], [email protected]; Sharon Wilks, [phone], [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.hsbc.ca/1/2/personal