Description of the reporting process

The Santander Bank Polska’s ESG report 2021 is already the ninth report presenting our organisation’s impact on environmental, social and economic issues and describing our management practices. The report covers the period from 1 January, 2021 to 31 December, 2021, unless it is explicitly stated otherwise in the report. Our reports are published annually.

The previous Report for 2020 was presented on 3 September 2021.

The report was prepared in accordance with the  Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) international standard, at the Core level.

The report presents information that is most relevant from the point of view of investors, regulators and the European Union. These include ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) indicators, European Commission guidelines on non-financial climate-related disclosures, and UNEP FI – Principles for Responsible Banking.

An integral part of the ESG 2021 Report is the Santander Bank Polska S.A. climate report developed using the TCFD recommendations  . The methodology of the report, as well as its scope and references to individual TCFD recommendations are detailed in the report.

For the purpose of the TCFD report and to enhance Santander Bank Polska S.A.’s climate resilience, we conducted an analysis that allowed us to identify in detail climate risks and opportunities based on two climate scenarios, covering three timeframes: short-term (2025), medium-term (2030) and long-term (2050).

The analysis spanned the entire value chain and all the markets in which Santander Bank Polska S.A. operates.

The report also refers to international guidelines and objectives relevant to our organisation and the financial sector, such as:

The GRI Index table outlines the report content in reference to each guideline and objective.

In 2022, we revised the bank’s ESG materiality matrix by conducting an initial assessment of the materiality of ESG aspects. We conducted the process according to a pilot new methodology developed by the Santander Group at a global level. In the following years, Santander Bank Polska S.A. plans to implement the process using all of its assumptions.

The materiality analysis of ESG aspects consisted of three steps:

• The development of a list of material ESG aspects based on an analysis of the material ESG factors identified by Santander Bank Polska S.A. and the Santander Group in 2020, the bank’s internal documents, sustainability issues relevant to the industry and ESG aspects identified as critical by Santander Bank Polska S.A.’s direct competitors. The outcome was a list of 21 key ESG aspects that were prioritised.
• Assessment of material ESG aspects
  Each aspect was evaluated on a scale of 1-5 in terms of a) the impact on Santander Bank Polska S.A. and b) the impact of Santander Bank Polska S.A. through a given aspect on the environment. Four stakeholder groups were invited to assess the impact on Santander Bank Polska S.A. (external experts – in the form of interviews, customers, employees and representatives of the third sector – in the form of an online survey). Santander’s impact was then assessed through a workshop by employees responsible for managing the ESG area in the organisation, taking into account the opinions of external experts.
• Subsequently, the average ratings given by each of the groups surveyed were assigned weights, with the highest weight given to the opinions of external experts.
  As a result, a matrix of material ESG aspects was developed that have a significant social, environmental and economic impact and influencing the performance of Santander Bank Polska S.A.

The final decision on the materiality of the themes identified was made by the bank’s CEO.

The results of the above analyses have been taken into account while compiling this report. All of the reporting topics that were highlighted in the process of determining the content of the report as most relevant affect both our organisation and its objectives, as well as our environment.

There have been no significant changes in the measurement methods used in the current report compared to the previous report.

The material reporting topics have changed. A summary of the material reporting topics for 2020 vs. 2021 is shown in the table.

Other material aspects: