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Raising awareness and training employees
Since 2004, AFD Group has developed and implemented a corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach that applies both to its internal operations and to its financing activities. AFD Group is committed to adopting best practices across its areas of work.
This CSR approach has enabled the Group to meet applicable requirements in the areas of social responsibility, environmental protection, ethics, human rights, anti-corruption, and transparency.
AFD Group is also firmly committed to the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
AFD Group is committed to integrating sustainable development issues into both its strategic planning and the operations it finances. This includes applying its environmental, social, and anti-corruption risk management approach throughout the entire project cycle – especially during implementation – and helping to strengthen the capacity of project owners and stakeholders in the Global South in terms of corporate social responsibility.
The beneficiaries of AFD Group financing act as drivers of sustainable development and serve as catalysts for good practice in the Global South.
The role of development finance institutions is to support and encourage this momentum by promoting international best standards and enhancing the positive impacts of projects on development.
Training within AFD
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is defined as the contribution of organizations to sustainable development. This approach entails specific requirements in the areas of social responsibility, environmental protection, ethics, human rights, anti-corruption, and transparency.
In line with AFD Group’s major strategic commitments, training related to sustainable development (SD) receives particular attention. Sessions labeled “Sustainable Development” are offered to Group personnel, and additional training on related themes is organized as and when needs arise – such as targeted support for AFD Group teams working on environmental and social topics (World Bank Environmental and Social Standards (ESS) 5 and 6)
To enhance the effectiveness of its training offer, AFD Group has established a corporate university – the AFD Group Campus – that brings together all internal and external training offerings, and involves all teams dedicated to learning and capacity building. Placing this new structure under the Executive Directorate clearly reflects the Group’s strong strategic commitment to developing the skills of our colleagues.
Sustainable development awareness
Various awareness-raising activities have been offered to AFD personnel throughout key moments of the year: workshops on waste reduction held during Recycling Days, an information campaign on sustainable food during the European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW), bicycle repair workshops, and an eco-challenge, Ma Petite Planète, held from Paris to Marseille, in our regional and overseas offices, and international agencies.
An evaluated CSR approach
AFD Group’s CSR approach is subject to extra-financial ratings which, in addition to guiding investor decisions, serve as a valuable internal improvement tool.
In 2023, Moody’s Analytics awarded AFD Group a score of 74/100 (up from 73/100 in 2021), ranking it (joint) first in the "Specific Purpose Banks & Agencies" category, and among the top 10 of the 4,667 companies assessed worldwide.
AFD also received a AAA rating in the most recent MSCI rating report, published in February 2023. In addition, its standing evolved from "leading" climate finance actor among national and bilateral public development banks in 2021 to a "transformational" bank in 2023, according to an independent external assessment conducted by the think tank E3G.
Key figures
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TOP 10 of the 4,667 companies assessed by Moody’s Analytics
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7,607 hours of sustainable development training delivered in 2023
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€1 M of purchases from the "protected and adapted" work sector (French system)
