Tech for Good: BNP Paribas’ responsible ambition in tech

12.02.2021 | Innovation, CSR

“Having technology that serves people is without a doubt a key way forward in successfully transitioning the economy toward a more inclusive and sustainable world,” said Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, Chief Executive Officer and Director of BNP Paribas, as he highlighted the Group’s commitments with the signing of the Tech for Good Call on 1 December, 2020. Gaining more momentum than ever, the French government brought together close to 80 economic leaders, encouraging the use of technology’s vast potential to create a more inclusive society.

The technological and digital revolution working toward human progress

Fostering economic development, fighting inequalities, protecting the environment…. Technology can and should play a role in the responses to the great challenges of our time. That is the belief behind the Tech for Good initiative, Driven by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2018. Technology has now become more essential than ever to the economy, politics, health, and even the environment, so it can play a key role in constructing a more sustainable and inclusive economy.

Tech for Good has taken form as a collective that brings together more than 80 leaders from startups, large groups, technology businesses and even NGOS. They all share the ambition of promoting a responsible usage of technology. As one of the first signatories of the Tech for Good Call, BNP Paribas has positioned itself in support of this positive vision for technology, providing notable security for individuals, assets and transactions.

Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, Chief Executive Officer and Director of BNP Paribas

A diversified structure and determined players

Tech for Good is composed of five work stream that each bring together 15 to 20 players of different types and sizes. Each one works on a specific theme with concrete objectives looking toward 2022: education, the future of work, diversity, digital inclusion and the environment.

Commitments from the Tech for Good work streams

Education

At least 1 million students trained in digital technology by 2022
Future of working

At least 100,000 employees trained in soft-skills taxonomy by 2022
Diversity

At least 30% of women in leadership by 2022
At least 30% of women in tech roles by 2022
Economic inclusion
Digitally empowering at lease 1 million people in France and 5 million worldwide by 2025.
Environment
GHG emissions to be reduced in line with the Paris Agreement

1. Education

Training young people to use new technologies means instilling them with essential skills for tomorrow’s jobs. The work stream “Tech for Education”, co-led by BNP Paribas and IBM, aims to promote the use of technology in education. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 Crisis, initiatives to bring concrete aide to students have accelerated and multiplied, including provision of materials, distance-learning initiatives, deploying digital tools for students and teachers, etc.

The teaching programme P-Tech

In 2019, at the occasion of the Tech for Good Summit 2019, IBM, BNP Paribas and Orange launched a France) based project called P-Tech (Pathways to Technology Early College High Schools). In partnership with the National Minister of Education and Youth, the program works to assist young people from all backgrounds to access skills and find jobs in the growing tech sector thanks to a mentoring program with hundreds of volunteer employees from the partner organisations. Created in 2011 by IBM in the United States P-Tech as already been launched in more than 200 schools in at least 13 different countries, helping around 125,000 students.

2. Future of work

This group applies itself to identifying the training needs brought on by technological changes related to automation and digitalisation in order to help companies to re-organise and allow employees dealing with these evolutions to acquire the necessary soft skills and digital expertise.

3. Diversity

This work stream aims to promote gender-based equality, creating new opportunities and a more balanced ecosystem by increasing the number of women in leadership roles as well as in digital and tech-based organisations. New measures are also being studied to reduce the impact of the crisis on women and ensure that commitments can be met.

4. Economic inclusiveness

The members of this stream collaborate so that stakeholders—employees, clients, partners, suppliers, organisations—have access to the necessary digital tools. IN addition, to help those in need to overcome difficulties related to Covid-19, members of this work stream have implemented concrete actions since March 2020: supplying electronic equipment, digital trainings, etc.

5. Environment

This stream concerns the reduction of the environmental footprint of businesses in line with the Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, and to think of technological solutions that will help them to achieve these goals. This work Group also examines the conditions for a responsible recovery from the current crisis.

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