New policy assessment from Fair Finance Belgium

The Belgian Fair Finance coalition - BankWijzer - has just published its biannual policy assessment, finding that while overall most banks are slightly improving, the gap between large and small banks persists with smaller banks generally scoring better.

Other points of note include:

• Newcomer Crelan's poor score raises concerns, despite their limited presence in case studies. A stronger focus on sustainable investments is crucial to prevent harmful practices.
• Belfius has seen a decline in its score, particularly in biodiversity. As a state-owned bank, there's a unique opportunity to drive positive change.
• Gender equality remains a challenge across all banks, highlighting a significant gap in policies addressing gender discrimination and related issues.
• Only Triodos and Vdk bank have explicit policies in place to exclude companies involved in settlements or occupied territories, emphasising the need for broader industry action.