Intesa Sanpaolo, the driver of sustainable and inclusive development

PRESS RELEASE

INTESA SANPAOLO, THE DRIVER OF SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT

ACCESS TO CREDIT, ENVIRONMENT, PHILANTHROPY, CULTURE: PRESENTATION OF THE BANK’S RESULTS

8.7 million meals, 519 thousand beds, 131 thousand medicines, 103 thousand items of clothing distributed through charitable organisations
‘Per Merito’ loan to 3,240 university students
Approximately 150 projects funded with Circular economy and Green Bond credit ceiling
700 graduate participants and more than 1,000 companies involved in the “Youth and Work” project
The only banking group in the world with four museums with permanent collections and a programme of original exhibitions on its own original scientific projects
120 accelerated startups under 6 projects, presented to 850 investors

Milan, 16 January 2020 - What has now become a traditional meeting to report the results and present Intesa Sanpaolo's sustainability projects took place this morning in Milan. The Group has always been committed to philanthropy, culture, access to credit and the environment, but including these as objectives of the Business Plan means that these themes are increasingly characterising the Bank's modus operandi across the board and at all levels. This is based on the conviction, that Intesa Sanpaolo’s CEO Carlo Messina has reiterated on more than one occasion, that the economic growth of the country, and consequently that of its leading bank, is strongly linked to reducing inequality and ensuring ‘sustainable inclusive development’. It is significant that “Intesa Sanpaolo, the driver of sustainable and inclusive development” is the title of the meeting which was attended not only by the Bank’s top management but also by Paola Pisano, Minister of Innovation, Rob Kapito, President of BlackRock, and the partners of numerous associations and companies with which the Bank works to attain its objectives in these fields.

During the one-day meeting two new initiatives for access to credit were presented, for working mothers and people who have difficulty accessing pension schemes (see press release), with the focus on young people and culture. Over the years, 15,000 young people have obtained student loans from Intesa Sanpaolo, a number that is sure to increase thanks to ‘per Merito’, the unsecured loan launched at the end of February 2019. The Bank has also set a record in cultural initiatives. With the announcement that in 2022 it intends to open a fourth Gallerie d'Italia museum in Turin after those of Milan, Naples and Vicenza, Intesa Sanpaolo becomes the first banking group in the world to have four museums open to the public with permanent collections and exhibition programmes with its own original scientific projects.

This commitment, whose aim is to promote greater social cohesion and reduce inequalities, is based on the Bank's soundness and financial results, which are the basic requisite for a structural programme of activities throughout the territory.

This is what Intesa Sanpaolo has achieved.

INEQUALITY

8.7 million meals, 519 thousand beds, 131 thousand medicines, 103 thousand items of clothing distributed through charitable organisations in the period 2018-2019
25 thousand donations on the For funding platform to 170 non-profit projects
400 thousand beneficiaries of the Charity Fund coordinated under the responsibility of Intesa Sanpaolo’s Chairman

IMPACT

3,240 student loans under the ‘per Merito’ loan since the end of February 2019

524 universities and further education institutes involved in the ‘per Merito’ initiative in 2019, including 265 universities and institutes abroad
171 million euro student loans disbursed by the Group to 15 thousand students

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

63 transformative and innovative projects for SMEs and large companies in the circular economy
2 billion euro disbursed in the green economy
75 projects funded with Green Bonds, 353 thousand tons of CO2 emissions saved (equal to the annual emissions of 66 thousand inhabitants)

YOUTH AND WORK

9.3 thousand young people, aged 18-29, applied to participate in the programme
700 graduate participants
Over 1,000 companies involved
80% successful job applications

ART AND CULTURE

A new Gallerie d’Italia museum will open in Turin in 2022
The only banking group in the world with four museums with permanent collections and a programme of own original exhibitions

In 2019, Intesa Sanpaolo organised 18 exhibitions in the three museums in Milan, Naples, Vicenza attracting 500,000 visitors
With 100 thousand visitors in two months, Canova Thorvaldsen at Gallerie d’Italia - Piazza Scala is one of the exhibitions that has attracted the highest number of visitors in Italy

INNOVATION

5 Artificial Intelligence projects completed in 2019 and 6 pending completion; 6 Neuroscience projects completed in 2019 and 6 pending completion
1,300 startups analysed, including 120 accelerated startups under 6 projects, presented to 850 investors
293 applicants including 49 Italian applicants for the Techstars acceleration programme, 55 countries represented including Italy, the USA, the UK, India, Germany and Israel
7.2 million euro invested via the equity crowdfunding platform BackToWork24 through the subsidiary Neva Finventures

Press information

Intesa Sanpaolo

Media Relations and Institutional, Social and Cultural Activities

stampa@intesasanpaolo.com

About Intesa Sanpaolo

Intesa Sanpaolo is one of the most solid and profitable banks in Europe, providing wealth management, consumer banking, corporate and investment banking, asset management and insurance. As the market leader in Italy, Intesa Sanpaolo serves nearly 12 million customers through digital and traditional channels. The Group’s international subsidiary banks provide for an additional 7.2 million customers in Central Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Intesa Sanpaolo is recognized as one of the most sustainable banks in the world.

The Group believes that value creation should be interpreted broadly, supporting social purpose and driving the real economy. As part of its commitment to sustainable growth, Intesa Sanpaolo has created a €5 billion financing facility dedicated to the circular economy. The Group’s large-scale project for economic inclusion and poverty alleviation includes a Fund for Impact to provide €1.2 billion in loans to those parts of society that find access to credit difficult. Intesa Sanpaolo is deeply committed to cultural initiatives that it promotes on its own and together with partners in Italy and abroad, including permanent and temporary exhibits of the vast artistic patrimony at the Gallerie d’Italia, the Group’s three museums located in Milan, Naples and Vicenza.