Representatives from major banks recently took part in discussions to operationalize responsible investment on mining projects.
During the roundtable discussion hosted by the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., participants focused on enhancing current mining-related policies in the Philippines.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PHEITI), Mines and Geosciences Bureau, as well as financial institutions working in close proximity with the local mining industry.
The event was organized by VBDO (the Dutch Association of Investors for Sustainable Development), in partnership with Bantay Kita, a national coalition advocating for enhanced natural resource governance.
RCBC Chief Risk Officer Jamal Ahmad said environment and social risk management is a cornerstone of the bank’s sustainable finance strategy.
“RCBC is delighted to host this event and will continue to play a leading role by bringing the financial sector, civil society and public policymakers to support sustainable finance in the Philippines,” Ahmad added.
The roundtable discussion is part of continuing efforts for dialogue among stakeholders from civil society organizations, the mining industry, and the public sector.
VBDO Senior Manager Sustainability and Responsible Investment Jacqueline Duiker thanked RCBC for hosting the event and concluded that the roundtable discussion had “wonderful cooperation and good open discussion” among the attendees.
Duiker was particularly impressed with RCBC initiatives to promote sustainable finance in the Philippines.