Corporate Social Responsibility

For HSBC, corporate social responsibility, means managing our business responsibly and sensitively for long-term success. Our goal is not, and never has been, profit at any cost because we know that tomorrow's success depends on the trust we build today.

• We look to address the expectations of our customers, shareholders, employees and other stakeholders.
• Being one of the world’s biggest banks means the decisions we make can have a big impact. We aim to lend and invest responsibly, avoiding projects where the potential for social and environmental damage outweighs the economic benefits.
• We believe, that it is our duty to share responsibility for the environment with governments and citizens for minimizing the damaging effects of human activity - pollution of land, water and air and the depletion of resources.
• The world is a rich and diverse place. The better our people reflect this diversity, the better we can anticipate and meet our customers’ needs.
• Involving our employees in the community brings many benefits. Our employees gain in understanding, confidence and self-esteem. Being recognised in the community also helps HSBC to attract great people.
• Education is crucial to the development and prosperity of every country. By investing in education, we seek to build the confidence and abilities of young people.

Values and principles

Our values describe how we interact with each other, with customers, regulators and the wider community. Our business principles set the standard by which we set our strategy and make commercial decisions. Together our values and business principles form our character and define who we are as an organisation and what makes us distinctive. They describe the enduring nature of how we do business. We bring these values and business principles to life through our day-to-day actions and each of us needs to make a commitment to put our values at the heart of how we behave.

In all we do, each of us should act with courageous integrity, standing firm for what is right

Our values and principles are carefully balanced with our commitments to all our stakeholders:

• Customers
• Employees
• Shareholders
• Regulators and governments
• Suppliers, bondholders, other creditors
• Communities and societies