Global Alliance for Banking on Values

Last updated
Global Alliance for Banking on Values
AbbreviationGABV
Formation2009
TypeBanking association
HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
Region served
Worldwide
Membership70 financial institutions (2024)
Executive Director
Martin Rohner
Website www.gabv.org

The Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) is an independent association of 'values-based banks' with a shared mission to use finance to deliver environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) positive outcomes. [1] [2] The GABV consists of over 70 member banks, credit unions and microfinance institutions. [3] Its headquarters are in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Contents

GABV's mission is to put finance at the service of people and the planet. These are banks that use money to deliver economic, social, and environmental development. They set themselves apart from traditional banks through their responsible approach to customers' money and lending practices. This includes providing loans and services to sustainable projects, individuals, and entrepreneurs, and avoiding investing in the pure financial and speculative economy, supporting their local communities and the environment, and maintaining ethical standards in how they treat staff and customers.

History

The GABV was founded in 2009. [4] Its founding members were Triodos Bank, [5] ShoreBank, BRAC Bank, Mibanco Peru, Alternative Bank Switzerland, [6] Merkur Bank, [7] GLS Bank, [8] Banca Populare Etica, [9] New Resource Bank [10] and XacBank. [11] In 2010, the company had its first annual meeting in Bangladesh. [12]

The 2011 Lima Declaration demanded that value-based banks be recognised through appropriate regulation and not be adversely impacted by regulations intended to address issues related to mainstream banks. [13]

2013 resulted in the first International Banking on Values Day, the creation of the Europe and North America regional chapters, as well as the Berlin Declaration. [14]

In 2014, the GABV's scorecard, a set of common impact metrics, which allows banks to report their social impact of a bank through a harmonised method, was launched. [15]

In 2016, the first Leadership Academy was launched, a program for senior professionals in values-based financial institutions. The program, in collaboration with MIT Colab and Presencing Institute, empowers changemakers to align financial leadership with social and environmental impact. [16]

The ninth summit was held in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2017. [17] This meeting concluded with the Kathmandu Declaration, a commitment to a long-term positive social impact towards renewing the whole banking system. [18]

In November 2022, BRAC Bank hosted the group's 13th in-person summit, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. [19] [20] [21]

The 15th anniversary annual meeting took place in Italy in 2024, where the Milan Declaration: A Statement for Peace was issued. [22]

In March 2025, the GABV held its annual meeting in Uganda, hosted by Centenary Bank, one of the country's largest microfinance institutions. The event focused on the role of financial institutions in advancing economic empowerment in Africa and highlighted approaches to integrating sustainability into banking models in emerging markets. [23] [24]

Activities

GABV coordinates initiatives among its member institutions to promote values-based banking. Its activities include leadership development programs such as the Leadership Academy and the Academy for Values-Based Governance, as well as communities of practice focused on areas including marketing, human development, and impact strategy. The alliance conducts research on the performance and resilience of values-based banks, including comparative studies with conventional banks and collaborations with organisations such as the European Investment Bank and Deloitte. It has developed the GABV Scorecard, a tool to assess alignment with the Principles of Values-Based Banking.

In climate finance, the GABV supports initiatives such as the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF), and in 2024 several member banks endorsed the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. The organisation has also engaged in policy advocacy, for example through the VALoRE project on sustainable finance regulation in the European Union. GABV issued the Milan Declaration: A Statement for Peace, calling for divestment from the arms industry. [25] As of 2025, Martin Rohner serves as Executive Director of GABV. [26]

Principles

GABV members differ in business models, size, and areas of operation, [27] but share six principles of values-based banking: [28] [29]

Research and initiatives

Between 2011 and 2021 the GABV conducted comparative research between values-based banks and mainstream financial institutions. In 2019, it collaborated with the European Investment Bank, Deloitte and KKS Advisors on the report Do sustainable banks outperform?, which found that banks with strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices outperformed peers financially.

The GABV has supported international climate initiatives, including the Climate Change Commitment (3C) and the globalisation of the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF), a standard methodology for assessing greenhouse gas emissions of financial portfolios.

In 2022, the alliance participated as an Observer NGO at COP27, continuing its engagement at COP28 and COP29, where 25 member banks endorsed the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Collectively, these banks manage USD 117 billion in assets and finance over USD 7 billion in clean energy projects.

In 2024, the GABV issued the Milan Declaration on peace and conflict finance, alongside the report Finance for War, Finance for Peace, highlighting values-based banks' exclusion policies on the arms industry. [30]

In 2025 several members of the GABV, issued a position paper calling on the European legislator to clarify the definition of "controversial weapons" used in European Union (EU) sustainable finance regulation, and broaden it to protect investors, civilians, and sustainable finance integrity. [31]

Members

As of 2024, the GABV has 70 members and five supporting partners in 45 countries. Its membership includes banks, credit unions, cooperative lenders and microfinance organisations. [32] [33]

Notable members include:

See also

References

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  2. Hampden-Turner, Charles; Trompenaars, Fons; Cummings, Tom (2015). "The Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV)". Nine Visions of Capitalism: Unlocking the Meanings of Wealth Creation. Infinite Ideas. pp. 209–238. ISBN   978-1-909652-84-2.
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  29. "About us". GABV - Global Alliance for Banking on Values. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  30. GABV (2024-02-28). "Milan Declaration: A Statement for Peace (2024)". GABV - Global Alliance for Banking on Values. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
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