We are committed to helping New Zealand deliver on its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals - the global agenda to 2030 laying out a roadmap to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice and protect the planet. We recognise that as a business we have a critical role to play in contributing to the agenda. Below are the goals that we believe we can have the greatest impact on.
Businesses need to respect human rights and have the opportunity to proactively address constraints faced by marginalised groups.
Business themes relevant to Westpac:
Availability of products and services for those on low incomes
Earnings, wages and benefits
Economic development in areas of high priority
Our contributions so far:
Reduced or removed 23 fees or charges in the past two years.
Human Rights Position Statement and 2020 Action Plan.
Partnering with the Middlemore Foundation to pilot an innovative programme, Mana-ā-Riki, in Papakura to help children and young people reach their potential by providing digital learning, health services in schools and making homes safe and warm.
5. GENDER EQUALITY
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Businesses have a role in mainstreaming gender equality in its operations and more broadly.
Business themes relevant to Westpac:
Equal remuneration for women and men
Diversity and equal opportunity
Workplace violence and harassment
Women in leadership
Our contributions so far:
Increased women in leadership to over 50% across the organisation.
Promoted women's success through the national Women of Influence Awards.
In collaboration with Shine, developed an anti-domestic violence policy to help ensure our employees are safe from domestic violence.
Rolled out Unconscious Bias training for all employees.
Westpac Women in Tech ran a #TechGirl! Event at Westpac's head office for 100 school girls with an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math so they could learn about what it means to be a woman working in tech.
7. AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Business can accelerate the transition to an affordable, reliable and sustainable energy system by investing in renewable energy resources, prioritizing energy efficient practices, and adopting clean energy technologies and infrastructure.
Business themes relevant to Westpac:
Renewable energy
Energy efficiency
Infrastructure investments
Lending to climate change solutions
Our contributions so far:
Rolled out Skype for Business thereby reducing the demand for employee travel
Increased lending to the climate change solutions to $1.6 billion.
Released the Climate Change Impact Report showing faster action on climate change could save New Zealand $30 billion by 2050.
8. DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
Businesses are engines for job creation and economic growth and foster economic activity through their value chain. Businesses have responsibility to uphold labour standards, institute non-discriminatory practices and embrace diversity and inclusion.
Business themes relevant to Westpac:
Employment
Economic inclusion
Non-discrimination
Capacity Building
Availability of a skilled workforce
Our contributions so far:
Investing in our people through the Best Banker Accreditation programme. The programme offers two courses – the New Zealand Certificate in Financial Services (Level 4) and the New Zealand Certificate in Financial Services (Level 5), both in conjunction with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
Developed an employee financial wellbeing programme in collaboration with the Commission for Financial Capability to help build our employees’ financial confidence and capability.
Businesses are engines for economic growth, having the potential to create jobs, foster economic activity through their value chain and contribute tax revenues for public services and infrastructure. They can also use their influence to address inequality by third parties such as suppliers.
Business themes relevant to Westpac:
Availability of products and services for those on low incomes
Access to financial services
Equal remuneration for women and men
Capacity building
Diversity and equal opportunity
Economic inclusion
Our contributions so far:
Human Rights position statement in te reo Māori.
Developed a Sustainable Supplier Code setting out our expectation that suppliers act sustainably.
Providing paid work experience for Te Waiu O Aotearoa Trust scholarship winners and offering a Māori cadetship programme.
11. SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Business can play a vital role in providing specific infrastructure, technology, services and financing solutions, to create inclusive, safe, sustainable and disaster resilient cities.
Business themes relevant to Westpac:
Access to affordable housing
Infrastructure investments
Sustainable transportation
Access to public spaces
Sustainable buildings
Our contributions so far:
Supported the growth of NZ’s largest community housing provider, Accessible Properties, as finance partner on their successful bid for more than 1,150 social houses in Tauranga.
Increased lending to the climate change solutions to $1.6 billion.
12. RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Societies need to find just and equitable ways to meet individual needs and aspirations within the ecological limits of the planet.
Business themes relevant to Westpac:
Sustainable sourcing
Resource efficiency of products and services
Materials recycling
Procurement practices
Product and service information and labelling
Our contributions so far:
Developed a Sustainable Supplier Code setting out our expectation that suppliers act sustainably.
Customers are turning off their paper statements and choosing to view their statements online with Westpac One; thereby minimising their environmental impact by reducing paper use. 75% of transactional accounts have had their paper statements turned off.
Partnered with ATEED (Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development) and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, to bring together central and local government, corporates, Māori and iwi to consider the opportunities that may be present to achieve inclusion and diversity in our supply chains.
Westpac's head office onsite cafes and catering serve fair-trade and organic coffee, use fully compostable coffee cups and takeaway containers and use locally sourced produce and free-range and free-farmed meats.
Installed onsite worm farms and vegetable boxes at head office for use by in-house cafes and kitchen.
Installed new recycling systems at selected corporate sites, including soft plastics bins, to improve waste diversion.
13. CLIMATE ACTION
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Businesses can contribute by decarbonising their operations and supply chains through improving energy efficiency, reducing the carbon footprint of their products, services and processes, setting ambitious emissions reductions targets and scaling up investment in the development of innovative low-carbon products and services.
Business themes relevant to Westpac:
Energy efficiency
Environmental investments
Greenhouse gas emissions
Risks and opportunities due to climate change
Our contributions so far:
Increased lending to the climate change solutions sector to $1.6 billion.
Decreased lending to fossil fuels by 59% since 2012.
Committed to 30% of our fleet being electric vehicles by 2019.
Climate leadership - publishing the Climate Change Impact Report, writing thought-leadership pieces in major newspapers and speaking at the Climate Change and Business Conference.
Became a founding member of the Climate Leaders Coalition, encouraging New Zealand businesses to measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions.
Where possible we are digital with our processes. Through careful management we have decreased our electricity use and emissions.
Recycling and composting what we can which has reduced what we send to landfill.
Installed onsite worm farms and vegetable boxes at head office for use by in-house cafes and kitchen.
Maintained our carbon neutral status in 2018 by offsetting the impact of our remaining emissions. We did this by voluntarily purchasing and retiring NZU compliance-grade carbon credits.