Organisation profile

Mission:

Triodos Bank finances companies, institutions and projects that add cultural value and benefit people and the environment, with the support of depositors and investors who want to encourage corporate social responsibility and a sustainable society.

Our objectives :

• To help create a society that promotes people’s quality of life and that has human dignity at its core.
• To enable individuals, institutions and businesses to use money more consciously in ways that
• benefit people and the environment, and promote sustainable development.
• To offer our customers sustainable financial products and high quality service.

History:

Triodos Bank was established in 1968 when a group of people with a background in banking observed that innovative projects had problems with obtaining financial support for their activities.
Through the Triodos Foundation (established in The Netherlands in 1971) they introduced these projects to people who were prepared to lend them money.
The Triodos Foundation expanded and in 1980 it was possible to obtain a banking licence. From this foundation, Triodos Bank was established in The Netherlands in 1980. Belgium followed in 1993, the United Kingdom in 1995 and Spain in 2004. Triodos Finanz GmbH, the Bank’s representative office in Frankfurt, opened its doors in 2005, marking the start of Triodos Bank’s activities in Germany.

Structure:
Triodos Bank is a European bank registered in The Netherlands.
The Bank has four branch offices: in Zeist, The Netherlands, in Bristol, UK, in Brussels, Belgium and in Madrid, Spain. The bank has an agency in Frankfurt, Germany. Triodos Bank NV is a Dutch public limited company (‘Naamloze Vennootschap’).

Triodos Bank is not listed on any stock exchange. Triodos Bank believes it’s crucial that its mission and identity is protected. As a result, all Triodos Bank’s shares are held in trust by SAAT - the Foundation for the Administration of Triodos Bank Shares. SAAT then issues depositary receipts for Triodos Bank shares to the public and institutions.At the end of 2006, 9,039 investors hold these receipts. No depositary receipt holder may hold more than 7.5% of all depositary receipts in issue.

Actions:

Triodos Bank’s set of products and services have been developed to support enterprises which add social, environmental and cultural value. They offer depositors and investors a transparent way to channel their savings and investments in support of these enterprises.

Profit, or the need for a sustainable financial base, is a condition after we have made an assessment in terms of social, environmental and cultural value.

The sectors in which Triodos Bank is active are:

• Nature and environment: renewable energy projects, organic and biodynamic agriculture projects, environmental technology.
• Social business: traders, business centres, innovative business and services with both economic and social goals.
• Culture and welfare: organisations active in education, special needs and health care, as well as individual artists and groups.
• North-South: microfinance institutions in developing countries and fair trade initiatives with the South.

Investment Funds:

• The Triodos Green Fund exclusively finances projects active in organic farming, renewable energy and other projects concerning nature and the environment (NL).
• Triodos Added Values Fund finances enterprises floated on the stock exchange that combine a strong financial position with good performance in social and environmental fields (NL/BE).
• Triodos Fair Share Fund invests in microfinance banks in developing countries (NL).
• Triodos Renewable Energy Fund focuses on wind energy, biomass, small hydroelectric power stations and solar energy (UK).
• Triodos Culture Fund provides loans for the promotion of art and culture (NL).
• Triodos Renewables Europe Fund is the first Luxemburg based investment fund and invests in European renewable energy projects.

International Funds :

• Triodos-Doen and the Hivos-Triodos Fund provide funding to small banks and financial institutions in developing countries active in the field of microfinance.
• Triodos Renewable Energy for Development Fund provides finance to promote and support the accessibility and use of renewable energy services in developing countries.
• Triodos Venture Capital Fund finances fast growing companies in organic food and renewable energy.
• Triodos Climate Clearing House is an independent registration and trading platform for CO2 credits created by sustainable forestry and renewable energy projects, primarily in developing countries.