The Fair Finance Guide is a web-based tool that enables bank clients and policy holders to make their bank more socially responsible, fair, and sustainable by benchmarking it on several themes.
At the moment, Fair Finance Guides are active in 10 countries. Scroll down to see in which countries you can check your bank!
The aim of the Fair Finance Guide is to initiate a ‘race to the top’ between banks on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Ideally, a self-reinforcing process will develop in which social, environmental and economic standards are raised continuously, ultimately resulting in sustainable credits, investments and asset management all over the world. The Fair Finance Guide contributes to banks’CSR policies and practices on a wide variety of issues, benefiting a broad audience.
Ted van Hees, one of the founders of the Fair Finance Guide International, was interviewed by Newscoop. Read about how Van Hees experienced setting up the Fair Finance Guide Interational and which issues he came across.
Fair Finance Guide Japan (FFGJ) is a guide to Japan's 5 largest commercial banks. FFGJ is run by a network of non-profit organizations based in Japan: A SEED Japan, Japan Center for a Sustainable Environment and Society (JACSES) and Pacific Asia Resource Center (PARC).
The Dutch Fair Bank Guide (Eerlijke Bankwijzer) was formally launched in 2009. It is an initiative commissioned by Oxfam Novib, Amnesty International Netherlands, Dutch labour union FNV, Friends of the Earth Netherlands, World Animal Protection and PAX .
Fair Finance Guide Sweden covers the 7 largest and 2 alternative banks in Sweden. Behind the initiative are Swedish Consumers’ Association, Amnesty International Sweden, Diakonia, Fair Action and Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.
Guia dos Bancos Responsáveis covers the 8 largest commercial banks in Brazil. The initiative is led by the Brazilian Consumers Right Institute (Idec) and is supported by Instituto Sou da Paz (pro Peace Institute), Confederação Brasileira de Aposentados e Pensionistas e Idosos (COBAP) and Conectas.
The Norwegian Fair Finance Guide scores 13 banks on their policies and practices. The initiative is a partnership between the Norwegian Consumer Council and the environmental NGO Future in our hands/Framtiden i våre hender.
The Belgian Fair Finance Guide (BankWijzer) offers people the opportunity to make an informed choice about their own financial resources. With the help of bank clients we want to push banks towards more sustainable investment choices. BankWijzer is an initiative of FairFin, 11.11.11., CNCD, Amnesty België, Vrede and Netwerk Bewust Verbruiken.
Responsibank Indonesia evaluates the investment policy of the 8 largest national banks and the 3 largest foreign banks operating in Indonesia. The initiative is supported by Perkumpulan Prakarsa, YLKI (Yayasan Lembaga Konsumen Indonesia), Walhi (Wahana Lingkungan Hidup), Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia, ICW (Indonesian Corruption Watch), Infid (International NGO Forum for Indonesia Development) and Lokataru.
Fair Finance France investigates major French banks’ policies, investments and practices and exposes their impacts on population across the world. Fair Finance France was founded in 2014 by Oxfam France and is supported by Friends of the Earth France to bring together French organizations, with the aim of holding banks more transparent and accountable to social and environmental standards.
Fair Finance Guide Germany assesses responsible investment policies of 4 of the largest commercial banks, 2 regional banks, 1 savings bank, the central cooperative bank as well as 2 church banks and 3 alternative banks operating in Germany. This analysis is complemented by research into the bank practices, highlighting the lacking implementation of voluntary agreements and the need for more binding regulation in the German banking system. The initiative is led by Facing Finance and supported by Verbraucherzentrale Bremen, Rank a Brand and Südwind.
Fair Finance Thailand was launched in 2018 to assess policies of 9 largest commercial banks in Thailand. The coalition comprises Sal Forest Co. Ltd., International Rivers, EnLaw Foundation, Ecological Alert and Recovery (Thailand) (EARTH) and Foundation for Consumers.
Fair Finance Guide India assessed policies of 8 banks: 4 public and 4 private. The analysis has been undertaken through the Fair Finance Guide International methodology encompassing a total of 10 ESG themes. This would be the baseline assessment for India. The assessment is supported by sector based case studies that draw out the impact investing linkage. The India coalition comprises of Oxfam India, Partners in Change, Praxis, Environics, Cividep and OpenSpace.
