Better Health for All

Erste Group Bank AG is a financial service provider offering banking, loan, mortgage, and investment products.

Its core business activities do not directly involve health-related products, services, or research. Therefore, its principal goods and services have no significant positive or negative health impact, and its operations do not directly intersect with health safety, accessibility, innovation, or crisis response. While the company engages in social banking programs supporting job creation and affordable housing, these initiatives are not specifically health-focused.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Erste Group actively engages in social banking and microfinance initiatives across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Austria. Since 2016, the company has invested €700 million in social development

, contributing to the creation or preservation of nearly 100,000 jobs . In 2018-2019, its social banking activities disbursed EUR 235 million in loans across CEE , supporting 30,000 clients with financing, education, or mentoring . This included financing for 3,100 starting entrepreneurs , almost 7,000 microfinance businesses , and 600 social organizations . As of December 2021, Erste Social Banking provided €400 million in funding , supporting 6,000 entrepreneurs, 700 social organizations, and 8,000 small farmers . The company partnered with the EIF in Serbia to provide a EUR 4.7 million loan portfolio for 850 micro-borrowers . Erste Group also participates in microfinance projects with Habitat for Humanity across Eastern European countries, providing housing loans to low-income families and the Roma population, with examples including over 150 loans in Macedonia and over 400 loans in Slovakia . Financial literacy initiatives have reached several hundred thousand people in Austria and CEE , and Zweite Sparkasse has helped 15,000 Austrians overcome financial difficulties since 2006 . Outcomes include 76% of low-income clients reporting timely payment of regular expenses , and 9 out of 10 supported social organizations improving their mission fulfillment, serving over 123,300 socially excluded beneficiaries . Erste Group is a founding member of a UN initiative for financial health .

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Erste Group Bank reported a gender pay gap of 28.9% in 2024, indicating that women earn approximately 71.1% of men's pay.

The CEO-to-employee pay ratio was 68x in 2024. Employee engagement is strong, with 86% of employees indicating they would recommend working at the company. The voluntary employee turnover rate was 12% in 2024.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

No specific, company-wide quantitative data was provided in the articles for any of the KPIs under Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing. Information regarding supplier diversity spend for a subsidiary, Erste Bank a.d. Novi Sad, in 2017 and 2018, was not explicitly stated to apply to the entire Erste Group. Similarly, while the company's Code of Ethics and policies mention expectations for contractual partners

and an ethical and environmental code of conduct for suppliers , no specific percentage of contracts covered by these clauses was provided. There was also no explicit evidence to confirm whether the organization procures or trades physical commodities, which would determine the applicability of certain KPIs.

Honest & Fair Business

No specific, concrete data points were found in the provided articles for EBO.XETRA or its subsidiaries that directly map to the quantitative or qualitative thresholds defined in the rubric for any of the 'Honest & Fair Business' KPIs. While some articles mention general policies like 'zero tolerance' for corruption

or compliance with regulations, they lack the detailed evidence required to assess the strength, enforcement, or specific metrics (e.g., training frequency, audit coverage, resolution times, or specific fine amounts) needed to assign a score to any KPI.

Kind to Animals

Erste Group Bank AG is a financial service provider. The provided articles detail its sustainable finance framework

, ESG initiatives , net-zero commitments , and financing activities for various sectors, including agriculture and livestock farming for its clients . However, there is no evidence in the articles regarding the company's own direct operations, products, or supply chain involving animal welfare practices, cruelty-free certifications, animal testing, animal-derived ingredients, or direct impact on wildlife habitats. Therefore, all KPIs related to 'Kind to Animals' are not applicable to the company's business model as described in the evidence.

No War, No Weapons

The company fully complies with European Union and United States provisions concerning economic sanctions and embargoes.

It has a Banned Weapons Policy, with the latest update on May 30, 2025, and routinely applies exclusion criteria for all active transactions related to ethically controversial industries, including nuclear weapons. Furthermore, the company maintains a Political Engagement Statement that reaffirms its commitment to party-political neutrality in all interactions with political stakeholders.

Planet-Friendly Business

Erste Group's total Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions were approximately 35.95 million tCO₂e in 2023

and 42.36 million tCO₂e in 2024. The company does not participate in tracked science-based target initiatives , though it has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 as a member of the UN Net Zero Banking Alliance and is developing decarbonization targets for emission-intensive sectors in its portfolio. For its own operations, Erste Group aims to achieve net-zero operational emissions by 2030 , with a roadmap that includes prioritizing decarbonization in properties through energy efficiency and renewable energy. In 2023, over 90% of its green electricity in core markets was sourced from renewables. The company has reported zero environmental compliance violations.

Safe & Smart Tech

Erste Group retains unsuccessful job applications for 8 months, or 18 months with consent for future opportunities, which falls within the 1-2 year retention period for data.

The company states compliance with Articles 13 and 14 of the General Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO) and grants GDPR rights to job applicants. Additionally, its video system complies with high IT standards in the banking sector, verified in advance by extensive testing.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Erste Bank procures promotional bags, folders, and wallets that are made from 100% recycled PVC foil.

This initiative has diverted almost 5,000 square meters of old advertising billboards from landfills since 2013, demonstrating a waste reduction initiative and the application of circular design principles in some product lines.