BRAC Bank among the 2010 FT Sustainable Banking Awards Winners

Last week, BRAC Bank in Bangladesh was awarded the Financial Times' Emerging Markets Sustainable Bank of the Year Award for the Asian region.

Now in their fifth year, the awards recognize banks and other financial institutions that have shown leadership and innovation in integrating social, environmental and corporate governance considerations into their operations.

"Broadening financial services to the poor and helping to raise living standards around the world is good for business and good for the global economy," said Lars Thunell, IFC Executive Vice President and CEO.

The awards were presented at a gala dinner in London attended by more than 250 senior bankers and decision-makers in the area of sustainability. Dr Mo Ibrahim, Chairman and founder, Mo Ibrahim Foundation, and Founder, Celtel International, was keynote speaker at the dinner. The event followed a one-day Sustainable Banking Conference organised by the Financial Times and IFC.

The judging panel narrowed down the entries to a short-list of five institutions for each category of award -- and three banks for each regional sub-category under Emerging Markets Bank of the Year -- before selecting the overall winners.

• Martin Dickson, Deputy Editor, Financial Times (co-chair)
• Rachel Kyte, Vice President, Business Advisory Services, IFC (co-chair)
• Isher Judge Ahluwalia, Chairperson, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations
• David Harris, Head, Responsible Investment, FTSE Group
• Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President and CEO, Women's World Banking
• Richard Laing, Chief Executive, CDC Group Ltd
• Herman Mulder, international sustainable development advisor