Acting responsibly, helping design a sustainable banking system for the future and supporting the global sustainable development agenda: these were the intentions Christiana Riley stated when officially signing the Principles for Responsible Banking at the United Nations General Assembly exactly one year ago. These Responsible Banking Principles were formulated by the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and the idea behind them is for banks who commit to the principles to play a leading role in supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement.

On its first anniversary the achievements are encouraging. The number of signatories has risen from 130 to 189 in the meantime, and these banks now account for 40 percent of global customer assets according to the UNEP FI. The first litmus test of how well the banks are progressing is scheduled for the coming year. All the signatories must then report on their achievements...

A number of media outlets have recently published reports about historic anti-money laundering issues.

Deutsche Bank has published the following statement:

“The fight against financial crime, money laundering and capital flight has been a priority for investigating authorities and financial institutions alike. The world’s leading financial institutions, including Deutsche Bank, have invested billions of dollars to more effectively support authorities in this effort. Naturally, this leads to increased detection levels.

At Deutsche Bank we have devoted significant resources to strengthening our controls and we are very focused on meeting our responsibilities and obligations. This also includes implementing risk mitigants and, where appropriate, off-boarding customers and correspondent banking relationships.

The ICIJ has reported on a number of historic issues. Those relating to Deutsche Bank are well known to our regulators. The issues have...

Combine that with the rapid digitization and automation of the U.S. economy, and that gap could eventually mean large numbers of Black and Hispanic American workers could be disqualified or underprepared for 86% of jobs in the U.S. by 2045.

Below is an edited transcript of Walia and Brancaccio’s full interview on the racial tech gap and how we might be able to narrow that gap with targeted investments for minority middle-school students and their families.

David Brancaccio: How do you define this divide, as you see it? You have many layers of this.

Apjit Walia: So the digital divide has been going on for quite some time, it’s well telegraphed. We approach a study holistically seeing what’s the difference between different spheres in the society, whether it’s rich or poor; urban, rural; educated and uneducated, and obviously based on race. And we found, the staggering divide in the numbers we found was when it came to race, especially in urban areas, with...

On March 26, the Indonesian Composite Index jumped up by 10% in one day, the biggest one-day move since the Asian Financial Crisis in 1999 and part of a broader Asia-Pacific rebound following news that the US Senate had passed a $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package into law. But that still left the Jakarta benchmark 20% down on the year, as countries in the region reeled from the pandemic which tested banks’ systems, people, trading capability and risk appetite to the limit during March, April and May.

It was a test that Deutsche Bank’s market-makers passed with ease. The firm shifted almost 100% of its trading activity to a work-from-home basis almost immediately, while its ability to price and take risk even during the most stressed times saw it build on its market share and clinch this year’s award.

“Deutsche Bank was able to continue providing prices and make markets throughout this period, whether that be at times of heightened market volatility, or...

Large European companies see the Green Deal as a primary tool to shape Europe’s COVID-19 economic recovery in a fair, sustainable and resilient manner CEO Action Group for the European Green Deal launched by the World Economic Forum comprises around 30 CEOs and senior board members committed to supporting the European Commission’s Green Deal with concrete action More information here

A new study shows the glaring gap in access to technology based on race, and warns of an "unemployment abyss" for minorities if things don't change. Apjit Walia, global head of technology investment strategy at Deutsche Bank, breaks down the significance of the findings.

As the European Commission sits down to discuss proposals for a new 2030 emissions target, more than 150 European businesses, investors and business networks are calling on EU leaders to back the ambition set out in the European Green Deal and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030. The signatories include Deutsche Bank, Microsoft, IKEA, Unilever, H&M, Google, EDF, Signify and Apple.

In an open letter, CEOs from across Europe have outlined their determination to work with the EU to tackle the impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic while delivering a more climate-resilient and regenerative recovery. The letter shows the diversity of European business support for increased climate ambition, with companies from a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, heavy industry, finance, consumer goods, power generation and technology, all supporting the 55 percent target.

“Banks play a crucial role in this ambitious transformation,” said...