‘We are very proud to be at the forefront in terms of using ESG criteria’ – APS Chief Risk Officer

APS Bank plc on Thursday launched a “first of its kind in Malta” Responsible Lending Policy (RLP).

The policy, which brings together practices that were already adopted by APS Bank for some years, aims to provide “clear and transparent” assessment criteria for the evaluation of lending proposals from an environmental, social and governance (ESG) point of view.

Commenting on the news, APS Bank Chief Risk Officer Giovanni Bartolotta said: “We are very proud to be at the forefront in terms of using ESG criteria when providing loans to our customers.”

“As a bank, sustainability is at the core of our business plan and through this framework, we are now able to filter requests and effectively grade them to determine the level of compliance with the principles set out in the policy,” he added.

The bank’s ESG and Executive Committees have approved the implementation and distribution of the RLP, which has been articulated in line with European Banking Authority’s guidelines on loan origination and monitoring, which outline responsible lending standards across Europe.