Socially and environmentally responsible operation is essential for development, wich only reaches its full significance if practiced on a sustainable basis. With this outlook, the BNDES undertakes social and environmental development as a crosscutting theme in all its operational areas. 

According to the BNDES, Social and Environmental Responsibility is to attach importance to and ensure the integration of social and environmental dimensions in its strategy, policies, practices and procedures throughout all its efforts and relationships with its wide array of audiences.

The Social and Environmental Responsibility Policy of the BNDES, aligned with the institution’s Mission, Vision, Values and Code of Ethics, reaffirms the historical commitment of the Bank to the sustainable development of the country. The document sets forth principles and guidelines for developing and implementing sustainable policies and practices.

Principles

 The following principles guide the operations of the BNDES:

• promotion of development in an integrated conception that includes economic, social and environmental aspects;
• respect for human rights as well as combating and opposing all practices that involve any kind of discrimination or violation of rights; 
• ethics and transparency as the pillars of relations with all stakeholders, ensuring dialogue and accounting for its decisions and efforts;
• proactive operations aligned with Brazilian standards and public policies, while respecting international norms of behavior.

Guidelines

The guidelines for social and environmental responsibility, together with other instruments, guide the BNDES’ operations in fostering sustainability. They refer to the strategic and operational efforts of the Bank and its stakeholders, as well as the impacts on society and the environment. These are:

• to strengthen public policies related to sustainability as well as social and environmental responsibility;
• to continuously develop and improve financial products, methodologies and other tools that incorporate social and environmental criteria while contributing, in particular, to local and regional sustainable development;
• to strengthen the approach to social and environmental responsibility in planning, management and operational processes;
• to induce and recognize the best practices in social and environmental responsibility of its suppliers, customers, accredited financial institutions and other partners, contributing to the advancement of sustainability in Brazilian society;
• to continuously develop and refine methodologies as well as other tools for monitoring and evaluating social and environmental impacts in addition to results generated by the Bank itself and by the financially supported efforts; 
• to guarantee that the standard of corporate communication reflects the importance of social and environmental efforts and the BNDES’ commitment to sharing responsibilities with transparency and dialogue;
• to continuously enhance knowledge and disseminate the culture of sustainability as well as social and environmental responsibility;
• to develop partnerships and share experiences with other organizations in order to foster social and environmental responsibility and to strengthen transparency and dialogue among stakeholders while reinforcing citizen participation in public management;
• to adopt policies that set great store by employees and promote their personal and professional development, with emphasis on social and environmental commitment and human rights;
• to implement the most recent sustainability requirements in their facilities and administrative efforts, contributing to the preservation of the environment.

Strategy and Governance

To ensure the effective application of these principles and guidelines, the BNDES establishes plans with routines for revision and adjustment to its policies and corporate practices, as well as awareness and communications programs for its employees and stakeholders.

Governance is critical to ensuring sustainability in the BNDES’ work and decision-making processes, which must continually undergo improvement. The BNDES has teams that are dedicated to social and environmental issues and corporate committees to discuss, determine and monitor the integration of social and environmental aspects in its strategy, policies, practices and procedures.

Also visit:

• Ethics Management
• Corporative Governance
• Risk Management