Reinforcing the Bank’s commitment to advancing responsible banking practices in Kuwait
<a href="https://middleeastdaily.net/burgan-bank-shareholders-approve-6-fils-cash-dividend-and-5-bonus-shares-for-2025/”>Burgan Bank has unveiled its 2025 Annual Sustainability Report, reinforcing its commitment to responsible banking while driving measurable progress across its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities and marking another milestone in its journey to advance responsible banking and long-term value creation. The 2025 report reflects a year of scaled impact and deeper integration of ESG across the Bank’s strategy, operations, and decision-making; documenting Burgan Bank’s dedication to shaping a more resilient and inclusive future for its stakeholders and the communities it serves.
“At Burgan Bank, we pursue a vision of success that is inclusive to all of our stakeholders, beginning with our employees, customers, and shareholders, and expanding to the welfare of our community members and the overall health and resilience of our local economy, echoing Kuwait’s long-term development ambitions,” commented Mr. Fadel Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer – Kuwait. “Our 7th Annual Sustainability Report reflects the progress we have made in embedding sustainability across our operations and decision-making. It underscores our commitment to our promise of being ‘Driven by You,’ where every initiative is designed to deliver meaningful, measurable impact—advancing business growth, supporting societal development, and protecting the environment for future generations.”
Mr
Fadel added that the Bank’s ongoing efforts to curate and share its sustainability program details is an extension of its commitment to publicly sharing valuable information that is beneficial to other businesses that strive to build a sustainable and responsible business model that shares Burgan Bank’s equitable vision for success.
Among the most notable achievements underscoring the strength of Burgan Bank’s sustainability program and its alignment with global ESG standards is its inclusion in the FTSE4Good Index Series. This milestone reflects the Bank’s continued progress in integrating responsible banking practices across its operations and strategy, as well as its commitment to transparency, accountability, and long-term value creation. The FTSE4Good Index Series, developed by FTSE Russell, is widely used by investors and market participants to identify and evaluate companies demonstrating strong Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance, further reinforcing Burgan Bank’s standing as a credible and forward-looking institution within the sustainable finance landscape.
At Burgan Bank, sustainability is embedded into the institution’s long-term ambition to operate as a responsible financial partner that contributes to a more resilient and inclusive future. This commitment is anchored in its four strategic pillars: Good Governance, Responsible Banking, Community Betterment, and Environmental Impact Reduction—which collectively guide decision-making, align internal priorities, and drive ESG performance.Oversight of the ESG agenda begins at the Board level and is operationalized through the Management ESG Committee (MESGC). Led by the CEO – Kuwait and comprising senior leaders from across the organization, the Committee meets quarterly to guide strategy, assess progress, and ensure ESG principles are integrated into day-to-day banking operations. A robust ESG framework ensures that the Bank’s ESG efforts remain responsive, relevant, and closely aligned with stakeholder expectations.
Within the pages of Burgan Bank’s 7th Annual Sustainability Report are the details of its numerous efforts serving the three primary sustainability pillars.
Environmental (E): Driving Decarbonization and Climate Resilience
Burgan Bank made significant progress in understanding and managing its environmental performance through a more structured and data-driven approach. A key milestone was the comprehensive mapping of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across Scope 1, Scope 2, and selected Scope 3 categories, including financed emissions—enabling improved tracking, reporting, and accountability. Approximately 40% of the Bank’s lending portfolio in 2025 met the required data standards for emissions calculations and plans are underway to expand coverage.
Aligned with Kuwait’s Net Zero 2060 ambition, the Bank has developed science-aligned decarbonization pathways supported by clear baselines and transparent methodologies.
In addition, Burgan Bank strengthened its environmental governance by advancing its Environmental Management System (EMS) in line with ISO 14001 standards, reinforcing a systematic approach to managing environmental impacts, improving resource efficiency, and embedding sustainability across operations.
The Report also clarified how climate risk considerations are embedded within the Bank’s enterprise risk framework, supported by climate scenario analysis to assess portfolio resilience under different transition pathways. Furthermore, ESG factors are integrated into credit assessments, with 69% of the corporate portfolio evaluated for ESG-related risks and opportunities in 2025—demonstrating a strong shift toward responsible lending practices.
In parallel, the Bank played a meaningful role in supporting economic development in Kuwait by extending KD 100 million in financing to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), while channeling KD 23.5 million toward sustainability-focused projects and investments.
Operationally, Burgan Bank continued to enhance environmental efficiency through energy optimization initiatives, electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, and sustainable procurement practices. It also maintained high performance green building standards at its headquarters, reaffirming its commitment as a certified LEED Gold (O+M v4.1) institution.
Accordingly, waste management practices saw a marked improvement, with recycled waste increasing significantly—from four metric tons in 2024 to 91 metric tons in 2025—reflecting a strong commitment to circular economy principles.
Social (S): Empowering People, Customers, and Communities
Throughout 2025, Burgan Bank’s social impact strategy continued to focus on creating meaningful and lasting value for employees, customers, and communities, aligned with national priorities and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Employee engagement and well-being remained central to the Bank’s people strategy, which enabled it to renew its Great Place to Work® certification. This was supported by strong engagement levels and the introduction of progressive initiatives such as reduced working hours and self-care leave to promote work-life balance and overall well-being.
Diversity and inclusion were once again present among Burgan Bank’s sustainability successes in 2025, whereby the Bank advanced gender equality through targeted initiatives including Academy X, Lean-In-Circles, Coded programs, and innovation challenges—supporting leadership development, entrepreneurship, and career progression for women. These efforts, among others, attest to Burgan Bank’s ongoing commitment to building an inclusive and future-ready workforce.
Customer-centricity also remained a priority, supported by ongoing investments in digital innovation, robust consumer protection frameworks, and transparent banking practices. Financial literacy initiatives under the “Let’s Be Aware” (Diraya) campaign – launched and supervised by the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) and the Kuwait Banking Association (KBA), with the support of Kuwaiti banks – continued to advance financial inclusion, equipping individuals and communities with the knowledge to make informed financial decisions.
The Bank’s community engagement efforts delivered wide-ranging impact across health, culture, and youth empowerment. Health-focused initiatives included breast and prostate cancer awareness campaigns as well as the “Tree of Hope” program, offering free screenings to employees and contracted staff, in addition to various partnerships to promote healthier lifestyles.
Mental health awareness was also elevated through collaboration with specialized organizations to deliver Emotional Aid workshops and establish internal Emotional Wellness Champions—fostering a supportive and resilient workplace culture.
During Ramadan, the Bank’s “Teach Them Young” campaign played a key role in instilling cultural values and strengthening national identity among younger generations, alongside broader community outreach and engagement initiatives.