CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

As an organisation we recognise our corporate obligations and responsibilities and are committed to fulfilling them. We continually invest in the development and training of our staff, as well as maintaining quality relationships with our stakeholders.

We take a responsible approach to environmental issues and are proactive in seeking innovative ways in which to become more efficient. In addition, a fundamental aspect of our Corporate Responsibility (‘CR’) strategy has been our commitment to supporting the development of the wider community.

Our people

The skills, dedication and commitment of over 1,700 people working for the Bank are fundamental to our customer service. Employee well-being is therefore of paramount importance to us.

We aim to foster an environment where staff can develop both personally and professionally, and where resources are put in place so that they can realise their goals. An innovative Learning and Development programme has further facilitated the progress of our staff. This initiative ensures that our employees receive the appropriate training to help them reach their full potential within the Bank. We have an equal opportunity work environment with wide scope for career progression.

To aid staff in achieving their personal career goals, we have designed a wide ranging educational support programme. Some of the benefits include funding to cover approved course fees, study leave in advance of exams and an award on the successful completion of courses.

The Bank runs an Employee Well-Being scheme, which is available to staff in Ireland and is operated in conjunction with an independent consultancy firm. Offering a confidential support service to staff on any issues facing them in their personal lives, the scheme is characteristic of our commitment to the health and well-being of our people. A similar programme called ‘Ability Assist’ is offered to US based staff.

From the date they join, all employees are covered under the Bank’s life assurance and disability insurance policies, giving staff members and their families a reassuring level of financial protection.

As well as supporting our staff during their careers, we are committed to safeguarding their future later in life. We therefore continue to support an incentive based pension scheme, whereby staff are encouraged to make additional voluntary contributions (‘AVCs’) to their pension. Under the scheme, the Bank matches, on a one-for-one basis, AVCs made by staff up to a pre-defined level.

Our community

Our community strategy seeks to ensure that the Bank does its part in encouraging social inclusiveness and supporting the young and disadvantaged. Our approach to CR in the community is rooted in the generosity and commitment of our staff, who give their time and effort to support a wide range of worthwhile causes and are often directly involved in the selection and funding of many of the initiatives supported by the Bank. In this regard, we have decided to focus a substantial portion of our CR funds and efforts towards education in local communities.

The Bank is a founding member of Business in the Community (‘BITC’) which works with Irish companies seeking to make a positive impact on society through numerous initiatives which focus on community involvement. The Bank has teamed up with BITC in Ireland and the UK to develop various educational initiatives in our community.

In Ireland, the Bank continues to support and develop our mentoring programmes for secondary level students of Warrenmount School in the Liberties district of Dublin. We started this programme in 2000 and since then it has received widespread commitment from staff who, with the Bank’s support, offer their time to help students realise their full potential. To date, over 120 members of staff have been involved with the Warrenmount initiative. The mentoring scheme enables the pupils to develop important personal and professional skills which will undoubtedly benefit their future lives and careers. We have also established programmes with St. Vincent’s secondary school in Cork, St. Paul’s Community College in Waterford and Coláiste Chiaráin in Limerick.

Our Irish regional offices have also taken a proactive role in supporting education in their local areas. Our staff in Cork, Galway and Waterford have teamed up with Junior Achievement Ireland to educate students about the various career opportunities open to them. This initiative reinforces to students the link between education and developing a future career in the work place.

The Bank has an extensive programme of community activity in the UK, reflective of having operated in the market for over twenty years. In 2007, over 250 management and staff, almost half of the UK workforce, participated in the many programmes the Bank supports. These include mentoring London primary school children through a year-long reading programme, advising school-leavers in pre-employment workshops, and volunteering their labour on selected community days for various charities through our membership of BITC. Among the many charities to have benefited this year are the Ahoy Centre, Kids Company, Brixton Project Arts Group, Hounslow Urban Farm and Live Futures.

The management and staff of the Bank feel that supporting the disadvantaged to attain a third level education is of great benefit to both the individual and the wider community. It is an investment that continues to benefit the entire community long after the initial support or funding is provided. To this end, we are pleased to have embarked on significant Access Scholarship Programmes for disadvantaged students in Dublin City University and University of Limerick. In close cooperation with the universities, these programmes are structured to ensure the participating students are supported throughout the duration of their chosen degree course.

The Bank has also partnered with University College Dublin and Belvedere College in Dublin on individual scholarship funds. The Bank is delighted to invest in the future development of so many talented young people in our communities.

The Bank has a history of supporting a diverse range of charities. In addition to our continued support of the Irish Cancer Society, a significant number of our Irish employees participate in a ‘Give As You Earn’ scheme in support of Children Direct, a partnership of five Irish children’s charities: Temple Street Children’s Hospital, the ISPCC, Enable Ireland, Focus Ireland and ActionAid Ireland. Under this initiative, which has been in place since 2004, monthly donations made by staff are matched by the Bank. A recent successful re-launch of the scheme in Ireland has meant staff participation in this long running association is higher than ever.

Our environment

Global warming and climate change are substantial concerns in today’s world. As a corporate citizen Anglo Irish Bank recognises its responsibility to the environment and aims to operate in a way which minimises its carbon footprint.

It is Bank policy to recycle paper, cardboard, glass and computer consumables where possible. All electronic and electrical equipment is disposed of in a safe and environmentally responsible way as stipulated in the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. The use of technology such as email and electronic payments across the Group has significantly reduced paper usage. The Bank encourages its customers to receive electronic statements and to utilise electronic payments. In addition, the use of video and teleconferencing facilities across all offices is reducing our business travel and therefore minimising our carbon footprint.

In keeping with our environmental policies, we have worked with our print partner to minimise the environmental impact of our Annual Report publication in two ways. Firstly, the paper selected for the Report comes from certified well managed forests, accredited by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (‘PEFC’) to a standard known as Chain of Custody. These certified forests are managed to ensure long term timber supplies while protecting the environment and the lives of forest dependent people. Secondly, the Annual Report will be a CarbonNeutral® publication. This was achieved by selecting a print partner who is already CarbonNeutral® and by offsetting the lifecycle emissions of the paper that was used in the Annual Report. The Bank is pleased to be able to add both the CarbonNeutral® and the PEFC logos to this report as evidence of achieving these standards.

In 2008, the Group initiated measurement of power and water consumption in our Irish and overseas offices in order to track the Bank’s impact on the environment. On 29 March, our Irish offices participated in Earth Hour 2008, whereby staff members were made aware of the need to conserve energy, reduce carbon emissions and reduce light pollution in the night skies.

This coincided with Environmental Awareness Week, where we highlighted the environmental endeavours of the Bank.

One current I.T. initiative which is almost complete is the move to use fewer and more efficient computer servers that generate less heat. The reduced power consumption and cooling requirements will result in a reduction in carbon output. We will continue to use an energy company which is committed to sourcing most of their energy supplies from renewable sources.

It is important to the Bank to continue to increase the environmental awareness of the Group’s staff. We will focus our attention in 2009 on further reducing resource consumption and maintaining responsible methods of waste disposal. We will initiate a realistic and measurable resource reduction programme over the next 12 months.

Our future

The new Board, management and staff of the Bank aspire to uphold a set of core values and principles by which to operate in the best interests of all our stakeholders – customers, suppliers, regulatory bodies and the community.

The Corporate Responsibility initiatives which we continue to undertake enable the Bank to promote a positive ethos, not just among our staff but also among our many and varied stakeholders. We remain fully committed to our

CR programme and are confident that it will continue to develop and produce further benefits for the Bank and our stakeholders in the years ahead.

Second IBF Report on Corporate Social Responsibility

IBF Report on Corporate Social Responsibility