SUSTAINABILITY AT UBL IN 2021

UBL has always strived to consolidate itself as a conscientious and respected corporate citizen. The bank recognizes its obligation to continuously improve its processes, systems, products and services to create value for the communities it operates in. Through a transparent and prudent Sustainability agenda, that integrates the basic principles of ESG, UBL aims to encourage a positive impact via projects aimed towards the betterment of the environment, consumers, employees, communities and all its stakeholders.

In 2021, UBL strived to further its sustainability efforts by venturing into areas that fostered the Bank’s mission to contribute positively to the communities it operates in. Coming out of 2020, a year in which the Covid-19 pandemic upended businesses and economies alike, the Bank returned back to a new-normal in progressing its Sustainability agenda. Most projects reinforced the core areas of UBL’s sustainability efforts, i.e. education and healthcare.

In 2021 UBL was very active in the areas of Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) through not only its Sustainability agenda but also through various other activities and initiatives.

The Bank donated to various institutions, an amount over PKR 130 million, during 2021. Of this, more than half the amount (almost 56%) was donated to education related projects.

The donations to education-related projects included projects pertaining to construction at various institutions along with scholarships for children, young ladies and the hearing impaired among others. The projects were spread across Pakistan. While some of the institutions the Bank donated to in this sector had been Sustainability partners for years, there were many new institutions as well that the Bank partnered with in 2021.

In the healthcare sector, UBL donated over 35% of its entire 2021 spend to various causes spread across the country. While institutions which have partnered with UBL before were included, many new to Bank institutions were also included in 2021 under areas of provision for medical equipment, free healthcare and much more.

In 2021, UBL embarked on a community welfare drive in the holy month of Ramzan. In collaboration with Saylani Welfare International Trust (SWIT), UBL distributed over 100,000 Sehr and Iftar/Dinner meals to people across 28 cities of Pakistan. The drive was conducted during Ramzan and covered the cities of Karachi, Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Thatta, Umerkot, Multan, Faisalabad, Lahore, Islamabad, Chiniot, Rawalpindi, Lodhran, Tando M Khan, Khuzdar, Kotri, Peshawar, Mardan, Quetta, Swabi, Bagh, Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley and Gilgit among others.

The deserving people across Pakistan who were provided with the meals during the month, expressed their appreciation towards both UBL and SWIT for this effort.

The UBL family, especially the branch banking staff, both Sales and Operations, participated wholeheartedly in this drive. At every venue, enthusiastic UBL staff form the respective cities turned up and volunteered to distribute the meals to all those who turned up. Their participation became all the more special due to the fact that it was the month of Ramzan under the restrictions imposed by the pandemic.

UBL champions diversity and inclusion in every avenue be it in its workforce or for its customer base. The Bank continues to move ahead with the contributions of the rich mix of individuals that serve its customers across Pakistan, regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion and any disability. UBL has also introduced products to better serve its female customers by minimizing the hindrances they have traditionally faced in opening bank accounts, making its branches better equipped to cater to the differently abled and creating value for previously unserved segments by pushing forward government backed loan facilities across industries.

As part of its Sustainability agenda, UBL is committed to promote literature and literary achievements in Pakistan. The UBL Literary Awards (ULA) is an initiative through which the Bank supports Pakistani writers and literature by awarding the best of them on an annual basis. With each successive ceremony, the ULA has come to be recognized as a benchmark of literary excellence in Pakistan.

UBL has supported arts as a cause and has invested into promoting indigenous talent in the country. The bank has worked in collaboration with organizations that promote art like ‘I Am Karachi’ holding art competitions at school level and sponsoring art exhibitions of local artists. As a promoter of the arts the bank looks forward to being very active in supporting arts in Pakistan.

As part of its support for healthcare related projects and causes, UBL also supports the awareness of breast cancer as one of its causes. For the entire month of October 2021, the Bank went on overdrive to inform and communicate about breast cancer awareness to not only its social media channels audiences but internally to its employees as well.