The 123,700 reasons why in 2014 HSBC partnered with Canadian charities that share their passion for education and the environment

VANCOUVER, May 4, 2015 /CNW/ - HSBC Bank Canada's 2014 Public Accountability Statement, entitled HSBC Bank Canada in the Community 2014, is now available online at www.hsbc.ca/pas

The 20-page report chronicles how HSBC's focus on sustainability and diversity is shaping the community investment strategy, environmental footprint, and inclusive employee culture at Canada's leading international bank.

Community
HSBC made more than $4m in charitable investments in registered Canadian charities, and its employees spent nearly 6,000 paid work hours volunteering with charities of their choice in 2014. This support helped 123,700 young people access high-quality education and environmental programs, funded 213 post-secondary HSBC scholarships and bursaries, and provided 145 environmental volunteer events for staff and their families across Canada last year.

Paulo Maia, President and Chief Executive Officer for HSBC Bank Canada said: "As the country's leading international bank, we aim to make charitable investments in Canadian programs that can address local issues with global significance.  

"In 2014, our giving strategy resulted in larger, longer-term charitable investments – comprised of both financial and people-powered support. We believe this approach builds stronger relationships with our charitable partners and employees, encouraging sustainable change and impactful programs."  

Environment
HSBC manages its performance in line with the global HSBC Sustainable Operations strategy. Last year in Canada, HSBC reduced energy consumption, waste produced and water consumption per employee compared to 2013, and more than 50% of its staff worked in a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) targeted or certified building.

Employees also play an important part in HSBC's sustainability efforts. For example, as part of the HSBC Water Programme – a global, five-year $100m flagship partnership with WWF, WaterAid and Earthwatch – 134 Canadian employees completed a full day of hands-on training to become "Citizen Science Leaders" (CSLs). These employees are now part of a global employee network of CSLs who conduct ongoing water quality testing on waterways in their region, and act as informed sustainability champions within their communities. By the end of 2014, the global network of CSLs had collected 6,000 datasets which will help inform local and global research studies.

People
In year four of its five-year Diversity and Inclusion strategy, HSBC worked towards increasing representation of Indigenous Canadians and persons with disabilities within its Canadian workforce, and also continued its efforts to build a pipeline of diverse, gender-balanced leadership talent.

Added Maia: "I have worked for HSBC all over the world and I've seen first-hand how the diversity reflected in our workforce – be it age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, ability, or any other form of personal difference – allows us to benefit from a variety of perspectives, and strengthens our relationships with our community partners and our clients. And while we are proud of our successes, we also know there is more we can do."

Key actions in 2014 included the launch of an Indigenous Canadian Employee Resource Group to support Indigenous employees and programs and raise awareness of Indigenous culture and history amongst all staff, as well as the creation of an internship program aimed at recruiting talented Indigenous post-secondary students and new graduates into the bank.

HSBC Bank Canada
HSBC Bank Canada, a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, is the leading international bank in Canada. The HSBC Group serves customers worldwide from over 6,100 offices in 73 countries and territories in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,634bn at 31 December 2014, HSBC is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organizations.

SOURCE HSBC Bank Canada

Media enquiries: Sharon Wilks, Head of Media Relations, HSBC Bank Canada, Tel: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Aurora Bonin, Senior Media Relations Manager, HSBC Bank Canada, Tel: [phone], Email: [email protected]