Sustainability

Our commitment to making a positive impact encompasses our entire Group, from product offerings and service provision through to our operations. We work to attract and retain thriving teams that can meaningfully contribute to our sustainability strategy, including through tailored training and development activities and transformative wellness initiatives.

Across our offices and branches, we are building a more efficient and resilient business by using resources more sustainably and adopting a lower-carbon management approach. We are also extending our impact along our supply chain by promoting responsible procurement practices.

Investing in Our People

At BEA, we regard our people as our greatest asset and strive to create a supportive and comfortable workplace for everyone. We prioritise staff development by supporting personal growth and career progression.

Promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion

Our commitment to equal opportunities, diversity, and inclusion, is guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labour Organisation's Fundamental Conventions. Our Group Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy, the Bank’s Code of Conduct, Staff Handbook, and Human Rights Policy underscore these universal values to ensure non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all staff.

Recognising the importance of supporting nursing mothers as part of our dedication to inclusivity, the Bank has built lactation rooms in our two main buildings in Hong Kong. These rooms provide a comfortable and private space, respecting the rights of nursing mothers. Additionally, we have also joined the “Say Yes To Breastfeeding” campaign launched by UNICEF Hong Kong in collaboration with the Health Bureau and the Department of Health, HKSAR, working together with other community members in promoting breastfeeding.

Attracting and nurturing talent

To attract, retain, and motivate highly qualified individuals, we regularly review and enhance our staff benefits based on feedback received through employee surveys. Simultaneously, we offer diverse training opportunities developed internally and with the expertise of external specialists. These upskilling and reskilling programmes cover topics ranging from general knowledge to specific job-related skills across key areas to help future proof our workforce. Our newly developed courses include: leveraging technological and data advancements, navigating the evolving landscape of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and capitalising on opportunities presented by cross-boundary business expansion. In 2024, we invested over HK$11.5 million in training and development initiatives. On average, each employee received approximately 59 hours of training.

To cultivate future leadership potential, we invest in young leaders through various graduate and internship programmes, such as Group Management Trainee Programme, Retail Banking Professional Programme, and Wholesale Banking Trainee Programme. Meanwhile, our Future Leader Accelerated Programme is designed to prepare mid-career, high-potential staff members for leadership roles within the Bank. This programme offers a series of structured development interventions that support growth and career advancement, including on-the-job development, coaching and mentoring, and leadership training.

Fostering health, safety, and wellbeing

Health and safety are factored into every operation of BEA. Our goal is zero accidents and injuries. We diligently monitor potential safety issues to minimise risks and maintain open communication with our employees to address any concerns. Our commitment to a safe working environment is reinforced through regular health and safety training sessions, fostering a strong culture of safety throughout the Group. Underpinning our approach is an Occupational Health and Safety Policy and corresponding manual that apply to all Group staff and contractors in the markets we serve.

To further enhance workplace health and wellbeing, our main office buildings in Hong Kong are equipped with exceptional facilities designed with our staff in mind. These include an auditorium for training, a staff canteen, a fully-equipped gymnasium, and a relaxing rooftop garden. We also provide special leave options to support work-life balance, including monthly wellbeing time-off. Our Staff Sports & Recreation Club, run by a committee comprising representatives from different divisions, organises various wellness and staff recreational events such as yoga classes, wellness talks, and urban farming workshops.

In 2024, we organised the BEA Divisional Cup, a sports competition featuring a diverse array of events. Traditional sports like badminton, bowling, and soccer were included, alongside non-traditional sports such as eSports and Mahjong. Throughout the year, events were organised to encourage both individual participation and team involvement.

 

Making staff satisfaction a priority

Staff satisfaction is important to us and we place great emphasis on having an open and effective dialogue with our staff.

We gather views from staff members through regular conversations such as Group-wide and divisional meetings, fireside chats with Senior Management, and performance review, while our Group-wide annual employee surveys enable us to enhance our work environment and bank culture, as well as to improve employees job satisfaction and engagement. 

With a 99% response rate, our latest employee survey revealed that our workforce is positively engaged and ready to drive our shared success.

Enhancing Our Environmental Performance

We integrate environmentally sound practices into our business and operations. From building management and energy saving measures to waste management, we are constantly exploring ways to innovate and improve our environmental performance.

Zeroing in on our operational emissions

While financed emissions represent the vast majority of our Group’s emissions, we nevertheless recognise the importance of minimising emissions from our own operations. BEA has made a commitment to achieve net zero operational emissions by 2030 following a science-based pathway, and developed a Scope 1 and 2 Net Zero Roadmap outlining the steps we will take to reach our goal.

With an eye towards continuous improvement, in 2024, we conducted energy audits and desktop surveys of our 20 most energy-intensive premises across various markets. These premises accounted for more than 70% of the Group’s total energy consumption in 2023. Based on the results of these audits and analyses, we drafted a Net Zero Operations Execution Plan, which will serve as a long-term blueprint for the implementation of energy saving and reduction opportunities until 2035. These initiatives range from optimising building operations—such as workplace restacking and shortening the operating schedule of building services equipment—to upgrading building services equipment, electrification, and implementing on-site renewable energy systems.

Managing our resource use

While BEA is primarily an office-based business, our operations consume significant amounts of electricity, water, and paper, generating related waste, including food waste from our staff canteens. By proactively managing our resource consumption and waste, we can enhance efficiency and minimise our environmental footprint.

We have embraced digitalisation and are quickly transitioning towards efficient, paperless systems designed for our employees, clients, and stakeholders, thereby reducing unnecessary paper consumption throughout our business. Moreover, we have eliminated the use of single-use cutlery and food containers. In 2024, the Bank expanded its ban on single-use plastic wares to its Singapore Branch.

We also actively promote environmental responsibility, not only within our daily operations but also through engagement with external stakeholders to advance recycling efforts. For example, we have partnered with the Hong Kong Battery Recycling Centre to recycle waste lead-acid batteries from building services panel boxes and Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems in our data centres since early 2025.

Promoting a sustainable supply chain

As a responsible business, we take actions that can best amplify our positive impacts and mitigate any potential negative impacts of our procurement practices. We have established policies to promote responsible procurement across our supply chains to safeguard the interests of vulnerable groups, promote sustainable products, and reduce our exposure to risk.

Our Sustainable Procurement Policy outlines the Bank’s commitment to integrating sustainability principles into its procurement strategies, planning, operations, as well as supply chain management. Internal guidelines are also in place to provide clear guidance on responsible procurement.

Furthermore, our Supplier Code of Conduct stipulates our expectations on matters of compliance with all relevant legislation, social and ethical standards, environmental matters, and suppliers’ impacts on the local communities. As part of our standard procurement process, suppliers are required to acknowledge our Supplier Code of Conduct and confirm compliance when signing agreements with BEA.

To enhance our ability to effectively monitor our supply chain in Hong Kong, the Centralised Procurement Policies & Procedures (CPPP) was established to set out a clear sustainable procurement workflow to manage ESG risks in the supply chain. Meanwhile, other members of the Group develop their own guidelines with reference to the principles of the CPPP and in accordance with local business practices and regulatory requirements.

To learn more about our ESG initiatives and recent updates, please refer to Responsible Operations section of our latest ESG Report.