2017 Social Responsibility Report

A word from our President

In 2017, National Bank reached new milestones in helping its clients, employees and the communities that it serves to navigate the evolving business environment and played an active leadership role in promoting innovation, social development, entrepreneurship and diversity. Here's some of the hard work done in these areas over the past year.

Louis Vachon
President and Chief Executive Officer

The social impact at the heart of our DNA

More than $25 million given back to the community

An important economic player in Quebec and Canada since 1859, National Bank aims to foster the development of the communities it serves. In 2017, investment in the community included $9.2 million in corporate donations as well as several million in event sponsorship and fundraisers. Our thousands of active and retired employees are deeply committed to making a difference in their communities, which enables us to have such a positive impact on society.

Enriching the country year after year

Last year, we authorized $79B in financing for Canadian companies

To encourage the rise of startups and SMEs , we encourage a multitude of projects and companies dedicated to helping entrepreneurs thrive.

In 2017, the Bank partnered with Startupfest Montreal, the biggest event of its kind in the country, and the Ubisoft Indie Series, an annual competition for independent Canadian game development studios.

Community involvement that’s always on the rise

$1,000,000 in support for the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal

Thanks to our donation and sponsorship program, we were able to finance universal access to specialized mental health care and fund the development of leading-edge research in the field. In addition, our collection of more than 7,500 original works of art helps us directly support artists across the country.

« In everything that we do, we strive to be as equitable as possible and to maximize the benefits for the community. »

Driven to preserve the environment

The eco-friendly features of our buildings set us apart

We aligned our building norms to meet the criteria of the LEED^® rating system, which we now systematically apply to all of our projects. A case in point: Our head office holds the prestigious LEED^® Canada Gold Certification for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance.

We also continue to foster energy-efficient initiatives by constantly improving our practices, which have been recognized and awarded several times over.

Diversity at the core of our activities

National Bank collaborates with several partners to play a leadership role in the development of an inclusive and proud community.

We actively support women, cultural communities and the LGBT community through various partnerships. The representation of women in management positions, which now stands at 38%, is among the highest in Canada. In 2017, Women in Governance recognized the Bank’s efforts to foster the advancement of women by awarding it Gold parity certification.