MAPFRE selects BNP Paribas as winner of its Inclusión Responsable award, for its commitment to people with disabilities

Madrid, November 30. As part of the 4th Forum organized by the MAPFRE Sustainable Finance Observatory, the 2023 MAPFRE Inclusión Responsable (MIR) award was presented to the BNP Paribas Group, to acknowledge its commitment to the inclusion of people with disabilities and its specific policy on this subject. The judging panel gave the financial group high scores for all of the pillars included as part of its analysis, with this year’s specific focus being on the Retention pillar. BNP has a retention policy for its employees with disabilities, which can even detect the risk of disability, and it also requires training on the subject of psychosocial risks for all of its personnel. 

At the event, MAPFRE’s Vice Chairman and CEO Iberia, José Manuel Inchausti, emphasized the important role that large companies can play when they make a commitment to society. “It’s very satisfying for us to see how quickly companies are evolving,” he said. “Members of the public and consumers now expect more from companies and other institutions. They want them to treat sustainability as more than just a concept, by making it part of their actual strategies, so it can be used as a roadmap to ensure that companies are not only focusing on their bottom line, but also on ethical conduct and respect for the needs of all people.” 

When selecting BNP Paribas as this year’s winner, the judging panel was especially impressed by the Group’s retention policy, along with the quality and detail of its responses and the fact that all BNP Paribas companies must apply at least one of the 10 commitments from the ILO’s Business and Disability Charter. The panel also noted that in order to accelerate worldwide implementation of its policy, in 2019 the BNP Paribas Group signed a cooperation agreement with the organization Handicap International (HI). The aim was to provide support for the Group’s teams in all countries, so that with a view towards 2023, they would be able to strengthen their policies related to disabilities. In addition, “the Group has been actively working with ergonomists, and its human resources departments have been made aware of the need to hire people with disabilities, and to ensure that those employees are periodically informed about matters involving accessibility. Their employees are also encouraged to disclose their disabilities.” 

The award was accepted at the event by Cecilia Boned, Country Head for BNP Paribas in Spain, who said, “We’ve made a commitment to our customers to build a better future, and we mobilize many resources to make a positive impact, not only when it comes to energy, but also in biodiversity and inclusion. These three areas are included under the umbrella concept of a ‘fair transition’. We make everyone part of our commitment, starting with our organization and also by making social inclusion a feature of our financing and investment activities.” 

The MAPFRE Inclusión Responsable Recognition was also presented during the Forum, which represents a way for the investors in the MAPFRE Inclusión Responsable mutual fund to acknowledge not-for-profit organizations that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to people with disabilities. This year’s Recognition was awarded to the Pai Menni Center operated by the Sisters Hospitallers. Founded in 1923, this is the oldest institution in the Spanish region of Galicia dedicated to providing comprehensive services for people with intellectual disabilities, by offering personalized, multidisciplinary services based on each person’s needs, abilities, and preferences. 

The Forum also featured two roundtable discussions, which gave the business leaders, academics, and other experts in attendance a chance to share their views regarding the impact that financial institutions can have on the social aspects of sustainability, and regarding the effects that investing to promote inclusion can have on society. The Forum was rounded out with an address presented by Mirenchu del Valle, President of the Spanish insurance industry association UNESPA and a founding member of the Center for Sustainable and Responsible Finance (FINRESP). 

Now in its 4th edition, the Forum was created by the MAPFRE Sustainable Finance Observatory as a way to bring together top academic institutions, and to encourage development of financial instruments, insurance policies, and pension products that comply with criteria on socially responsible investment. 

Commitment to diversity and inclusion

As part of its Strategic Sustainability Plan 2022-2024, under the concept of #PlayingOurPart, MAPFRE is committed to bridging the social gaps that keep us apart, by developing the individual talents of all people, promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion, and eliminating any existing barriers based on age, cultural background, gender, or sexual orientation. As part of this commitment, the insurance company has an objective to increase its proportion of employees with disabilities to 3.5%, and to promote inclusion in the workplace through its MAPFRE Inclusión Responsable mutual fund. 

Other examples of MAPFRE’s commitment to inclusion are its active participation in the Diversity Laboratories organized by the SERES Foundation; its commitments to the UN Standards of Conduct for Business to eliminate discrimination against members of the LGBTI community and to the Code of Principles on Generational Diversity developed by the Generation & Talent Observatory; and its regular participation in research studies and events focused on quality of life and well‑being for all people.