Our approach - Our Corporate Responsibility framework provides a clear direction on our purpose, contribution and C

Our Corporate Responsibility framework supports and strengthens our business strategy, brand and values, and ensures that we continue to make a significant contribution to the world we live in.

Our framework provides clear direction for our initiatives and investments, allowing flexibility to suit the specific needs of our diverse geographies and markets, and supports that work we are already doing for our employees, our customers, our communities, our suppliers and the environment.

show our customers and communities that we live in their world, and care about and respond to issues that matter to them both locally and globally
build trust among governments and regulators seeking responsible corporations to invest in their countries

Our framework: We live in your world through Individual Prosperity, Thriving Communities and Responsible Growth

attract the best employees who want to work for respected companies that are making a sustainable contribution to society
encourage and attract investors who target well-managed companies with superior prospects for medium- to long-term growth.

Understanding our impact and defining our approach
Our Corporate Responsibility framework and priorities were developed following research and consultation with stakeholders across our key markets. This process helped us to identify material issues and opportunities for our business and sector, articulate our purpose in society and define our Corporate Responsibility priorities. Our Board, Management Board and Corporate Responsibility Committee provided leadership and oversight at all stages of the development process. Research We commissioned research across a sample of key markets (Australia, Indonesia and China), which showed that despite different cultures, there are strong similarities in consumer expectations of responsible corporations. Being honest and transparent, treating employees fairly, providing responsible products and services, and contributing to local community issues and causes were consistently identified as threshold issues. Environmental concerns varied across regions and countries and largely related to local challenges such as fresh water shortages, water sanitation, air quality and traffic congestion. We also reviewed findings from extensive focus groups undertaken with more than 1,300 customers and 250 staff to develop our new global brand. This brand research found that regardless of age, gender and geography, customers want their bank and bank products to be people-focused and uncomplicated. In addition, we researched the agendas of governments, NGOs (local and international) and multilateral organisations to understand their respective views on the most pressing economic, social and environmental issues and opportunities facing specific countries and the region more generally. We considered their medium- to long-term strategic priorities and assessed where we, could make the most constructive contribution. Engagement It was important to engage personally with local stakeholders in key markets to develop a Corporate Responsibility framework that would resonate with our employees, customers, communities, governments and regulators wherever we operate. We listened to people’s concerns for their own lives and communities and their expectations for a bank that shares their world. This became one of the most significant engagement exercises undertaken by the bank. In addition to day-to-day stakeholder conversations, we formally consulted almost 600 people through face-to-face workshops conducted in seven countries as part of this process. More than 500 employees in Australia, New Zealand, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Fiji and Tonga, including our newest recruits, best performing employees and senior executives, gave us thoughts and feedback on the key issues affecting society and our business, and their expectations of a responsible corporation as part of the framework’s development. We also listened carefully to the views and perspectives of external stakeholders across our region through one-on-one conversations and workshops held in key markets in Asia. Here, we held eight workshops with a total of over 60 participants representing governments, regulators, local and international NGOs, academia, our customers, business associations and business partners. Consistent themes emerged: As the global financial crisis played out in each of our markets, all stakeholders urged ANZ to grow responsibly by treating our customers and employees fairly and with care; providing the right products and services to meet customer needs; and to take greater account of economic, social and environmental issues in our business decisions. Education and employment opportunities are key to changing people’s lives and are highly valued by individuals and in the development priorities of governments throughout the region. Bridging rural and urban economic and social divides is perhaps the most significant challenge for many governments and communities, particularly in Asia and the Pacific. Banking access and financial inclusion are key areas where we can make a difference. Supporting and building financial resilience, capability and wellbeing among customers, and improving access to mainstream products and services for under-served and unbanked communities was considered a key corporate responsibility for banks in every market. Improving urban sustainability is an important priority for governments and communities and, increasingly, our customers live in urban centres and are faced with congestion, air quality and sanitation challenges.

Understanding our impact and defining our approach

Our Corporate Responsibility framework and priorities were developed following research and consultation with stakeholders across our key markets.

This process helped us to identify material issues and opportunities for our business and sector, articulate our purpose in society and define our Corporate Responsibility priorities. Our Board, Management Board and Corporate Responsibility Committee provided leadership and oversight at all stages of the development process.

Research

We commissioned research across a sample of key markets (Australia, Indonesia and China), which showed that despite different cultures, there are strong similarities in consumer expectations of responsible corporations. Being honest and transparent, treating employees fairly, providing responsible products and services, and contributing to local community issues and causes were consistently identified as threshold issues.

Environmental concerns varied across regions and countries and largely related to local challenges such as fresh water shortages, water sanitation, air quality and traffic congestion.

We also reviewed findings from extensive focus groups undertaken with more than 1,300 customers and 250 staff to develop our new global brand. This brand research found that regardless of age, gender and geography, customers want their bank and bank products to be people-focused and uncomplicated.

In addition, we researched the agendas of governments, NGOs (local and international) and multilateral organisations to understand their respective views on the most pressing economic, social and environmental issues and opportunities facing specific countries and the region more generally. We considered their medium- to long-term strategic priorities and assessed where we, could make the most constructive contribution.

Engagement

It was important to engage personally with local stakeholders in key markets to develop a Corporate Responsibility framework that would resonate with our employees, customers, communities, governments and regulators wherever we operate. We listened to people’s concerns for their own lives and communities and their expectations for a bank that shares their world. This became one of the most significant engagement exercises undertaken by the bank.

In addition to day-to-day stakeholder conversations, we formally consulted almost 600 people through face-to-face workshops conducted in seven countries as part of this process.

More than 500 employees in Australia, New Zealand, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Fiji and Tonga, including our newest recruits, best performing employees and senior executives, gave us thoughts and feedback on the key issues affecting society and our business, and their expectations of a responsible corporation as part of the framework’s development.

We also listened carefully to the views and perspectives of external stakeholders across our region through one-on-one conversations and workshops held in key markets in Asia. Here, we held eight workshops with a total of over 60 participants representing governments, regulators, local and international NGOs, academia, our customers, business associations and business partners. Consistent themes emerged:

As the global financial crisis played out in each of our markets, all stakeholders urged ANZ to grow responsibly by treating our customers and employees fairly and with care; providing the right products and services to meet customer needs; and to take greater account of economic, social and environmental issues in our business decisions.
Education and employment opportunities are key to changing people’s lives and are highly valued by individuals and in the development priorities of governments throughout the region.
Bridging rural and urban economic and social divides is perhaps the most significant challenge for many governments and communities, particularly in Asia and the Pacific. Banking access and financial inclusion are key areas where we can make a difference.
Supporting and building financial resilience, capability and wellbeing among customers, and improving access to mainstream products and services for under-served and unbanked communities was considered a key corporate responsibility for banks in every market.
Improving urban sustainability is an important priority for governments and communities and, increasingly, our customers live in urban centres and are faced with congestion, air quality and sanitation challenges.

Embedding and implementing our framework
Our five CR framework priorities will help to guide our initiatives and investments over the coming years. Our annual CR targets contribute to the achievement of these goals.

Our framework describes the important role we play in the lives of our customers, staff and wider society on three levels:

Building individual prosperity

For people: helping to create pathways to security and prosperity through our products and services and innovation education and employment programs for disadvantaged and under-represented individuals.

Contributing to thriving local communities

For local communities: championing the development of local leaders and contributing our skills and resources to help create solutions to important community issues.

Navigating responsible growth

For our business and region: being a role model for responsible business growth and business behaviour and making decisions that balance economic, social and environmental considerations in every market across our super region.

The framework identifies five priority areas of focus to guide our decisions and approach to investments and business initiatives:

Priorities	This means we will:
Responsible practices	make responsible practices the foundation of our decision making. train our people to understand social and environmental issues relevant to our clients so that together we can effectively manage the risks and make the most of the opportunities.
Education and employment opportunities	strengthen and expand our programs to create education and employment opportunities to improve economic and social inclusion.
Financial capability	continue our long-term commitment to help build financial capability so that more low-income earners benefit. take our most successful approaches to financial literacy from Australia and New Zealand and adapt them for use in the Asia Pacific region.
Helping bridge urban and rural social and economic divides	support the social and economic development of rural communities in key markets in Asia and the Pacific by working with governments, multilateral organisations and NGOs to pilot and share the most effective ways to bring basic banking services to unbanked and under-served rural communities.
Urban sustainability	seek to better understand the social and environmental pressures on the urban environment and identify how we can help improve urban sustainability.