The Crédit Agricole Group was named "Global Bank of the Year" by The Banker on Wednesday, 28 November for its socially and environmentally responsible policies.

The award, voted by a jury of experts on the basis of analyses and ratings from Innovest (Crédit Agricole is AAA rated), recognises the constant progress made by the Group thanks to the adoption of an accountability policy by each business.

In the case of Calyon, for example, Innovest judged that the bank's decision to incorporate social and environmental criteria into its project financing policy, together with its aim of including this criteria in all its credit lines, were instances of banking industry best practices. The same applies to Crédit Agricole Asset Management (CAAM), which is a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment and takes environmental, social and governance issues into consideration in its investment processes and proxy voting policies.

The distinction from The Banker is an incentive for the Group and its staff to pursue their efforts to address the key social and environmental issues of the future, particularly in the areas of climate change and human rights on an international level.