CTBC is actively pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set forth by the United Nations, in particular Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities, and Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, through its day-to-day operations and business development.

The CTBC Poverty Alleviation Program, initiated by the CTBC Charity Foundation, provides low-income families with dedicated entrepreneurial services to help them escape poverty. Designed based on the actual needs of these families, the program integrates resources from CTBC Holding and various parties, such as CTBC Bank, Taiwan Life, SME credit guarantee funds and consultant teams, to provide comprehensive loans, credit guarantees, entrepreneur insurance, and entrepreneurship counseling. To help entrepreneurs develop the skills to resolve problems on their own, the free 18-month counseling and consultation program covers numerous areas, including assessing and reorganizing family finances, writing business plans, implementing and adjusting operating plans, calculating startup costs, and designing marketing plans.

Furthermore, since 2015, CTBC Holding has offered loans to disadvantaged parents with poor credit standing and low JCIC credit scores (without major credit discrepancies) to help them rebuild their credit relationship with financial institutions.

In addition to economic inequality, unequal treatment is also experienced by disadvantaged groups worldwide. The CTBC Holding Human Rights Policy was established in support of the International Bill of Human Rights, holding fast to the commitment to creating an equal and harassment-free work environment that rejects any violation of human rights and prohibits differential treatment or any form of discrimination. There is also a diverse range of grievance channels in place to prevent the violation of employees’ legal rights and interests.

Additionally, CTBC Holding and subsidiaries incorporate the goal of building sustainable cities and communities into its businesses and operations. In the face of soaring housing prices, CTBC Bank offers the Home Mortgage for Young People program, which recorded a loan balance of NT$4.331 billion in 2020 in order to provide potential solutions to address housing problems.

Last year, CTBC Bank issued Taiwan’s first ever sustainability bond. Valued at NT$1 billion, the bond’s social benefit program covers affordable basic infrastructure, living amenities, and housing.

On reducing the harmful effects of urban development on the environment, architecture that takes into account various aspects, such as ecology, energy saving, waste reduction, and health, has been adopted and incorporated into green building projects invested in by Taiwan Life.

CTBC Holding is also committed to minimizing the negative impact of its own buildings and operations on the environment. Having been awarded the LEED v4.1 Green Building Certification, its headquarters — CTBC Financial Park — has increased its waste recycling rate from 18% to 51% through the optimization of waste sorting and waste reduction. A rainwater harvesting pond with a storage capacity of 2,625 tons was also installed to prevent urban rainwater runoff.