​EFG Hermes Reaffirms its Commitment to Being at the Forefront of Change with the Issuance of its First Sustainability Report Stemming from a commitment to public responsibility and sustainable business practice, EFG Hermes details the integration of sustainability within its overall strategy Cairo, 2 June 2015 EFG Hermes, the leading investment bank in the Arab world has redefined its vision for the future as an institution that fosters a culture of inclusion and incorporates sustainability practices across its five lines of business.  Today the firm announced the issuance of its first Sustainability Report for 2014 detailing the integration of sustainability in the firm’s overall strategy, which is firmly rooted in the adherence to six core principles: People, Products, Positioning, Presence Profitability and Public Responsibility. “As the leading investment bank in the region, it is EFG Hermes’ responsibility to set the example by constantly evolving and adopting global best practices,” said EFG Hermes Chairperson, Mona Zulficar. “The world around us has evolved and we must rise to meet the new challenges. Economic prosperity can no longer be measured purely on the basis of financial rewards, we must also seek the integration of environmental and social sustainability across all growth and development models.” “That is why in 2014 we have integrated public responsibility as a new principle to our guiding strategy. It is a responsibility that sees us truly committed to aligning our business practice with sustainability and ensuring that value creation does not come at the expense of the society, environment or overall economies of the countries in which we do business,” Zulficar added. “The issuance of our first Sustainability Report is only a first step in instilling sustainability at the corporate governance, business units and community development levels of our organization.” In 2014 EFG Hermes established a sustainability committee, which is in charge of setting targets and establishing procedures to integrate sustainable business practices across all lines of business. In addition to streamlining financial and sustainability reporting across the firm, EFG Hermes has actively invested and will continue to invest in landmark projects that bring about both financial and environmental benefit.  “We recognize that staying at the forefront of our industry entails integrating sustainability parameters into our investment models,” said Karim Awad, CEO of EFG Hermes. “Our newly articulated social purpose sees us committed to leveraging our financial expertise and human capital to promote investments that have significant environmental and social returns in addition to being financially rewarding.” Awad highlighted that EFG Hermes is keen on promoting innovation of all forms and has thus far shown particular interest in the areas of clean and renewable energy with recent investments in three landmark projects that will have a significant positive impact on both the environment and the economy. Private Equity acquired a 49% equity stake in French wind energy company EDPR France and through its infrastructure investment fund, InfraMed, the firm has also invested in Tafila Wind Farm in Jordan and the Egyptian Refining Company, which will produce Euro V diesel, the cleanest-burning diesel fuel in the world. As a responsible corporate citizen, EFG Hermes is also striving to tackle some of Egypt and the region’s most pressing social problems such as poverty, illiteracy and the lack of proper healthcare through the projects undertaken by the EFG Hermes Foundation. “The EFG Hermes Foundation aims to achieve maximum impact by adopting an integrated development approach that relies on partnership to maximize resources and ensure that projects are sustainable,” said Hanaa Helmy, CEO of the EFG Hermes Foundation and Chairperson of the Sustainability Committee. “We believe that this approach is both ambitious and unique as it allows us to work on the rehabilitation of entire communities starting with infrastructure development and encompassing comprehensive economic and human development initiatives with the overall objective being the long-term alleviation of poverty,” she added. Thus far the integrated development approach has been implemented successfully by the EFG Hermes Foundation in the village of Ezbet Yacoub in Beni Sweif. The Foundation is currently implementing the same approach in Al Makhzan village in Qena. “Underpinning all of these endeavors is our core value of integrity. We place the highest value on ethics, transparency, accountability and risk management, and strive to always be trusted partners to all our stakeholders,” added Awad. To view the full report please clickhere