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#1MillionHours2Help: the BNP Paribas Group’s volunteer programme

In September 2018, in partnership with the UNI Global Union international federation, BNP Paribas increased its social commitment with its signature of a global agreement on fundamental rights in the workplace, with the introduction of a worldwide minimum social standard. Under this agreement, BNP Paribas has undertaken to allocate 1 million paid volunteer hours across its entire workforce by 2020. As part of International Volunteer Day, BNP Paribas is launching the #1MillionHours2Help programme for all Group employees worldwide.

Contributing to more sustainable and evenly-shared growth

The aim of the #1MillionHours2Help programme is for the Group’s employees to use their working time to contribute to the efforts of organisations seeking to build a more inclusive, environmentally-aware world. Its goal? To achieve the collective total of 1 million hours of voluntary work provided by the Group’s employees worldwide in 2020 – equivalent to just over half a day of paid volunteer hours per employee per year. This number of hours may vary according to region or business area.

Antoine Sire, Head of Company Engagement, member of the Group’s Executive Committee, says: “This agreement will enable many of our employees to contribute their working time to support the efforts of associations working for a better world. It makes a decisive contribution to BNP Paribas’s social commitment.”

Employees may choose to allocate their volunteer hours, on a collective or individual basis, to an association operating in any of the four following domains:

  • Promoting social inclusion among young people
  • Accelerating energy transition
  • Supporting the work of “positive impact” entrepreneurs
  • Improving local communities 

Group employees in action

In September 2019, the Group’s employees pooled their efforts on behalf of World Clean Up Day. The initiative was led by several Group entities and a number of the countries in which the Group operates. Its main benefit was the collection in France of 6,800 litres of waste and 17,600 cigarette butts that were sent to a waste recycling operation. Similar initiatives were conducted in multiple countries: waste collection in Belgium, lake shore clean-ups in Switzerland, collection of plastic waste by ship in the Netherlands, and beach clean-ups in the UK and Singapore. Through this joint initiative, staff were able to help to clean up the areas in which they live and work. 

For many years, the Group’s employees worldwide have been taking part in a variety of volunteer initiatives, collectively giving their time to various associations including Unicef, the Association des Paralysés de France, La Mie de Pain, Emmaüs, and Read Write Fun in Hong Kong...

TEB Cetelem 

Crédit photo header ©romul014

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