“Sustainable action will help businesses do more of what they’re great at simply by doing good,” said Muhammad al-Fouly, a member of the UNGC Network Egypt during EFG Hermes conference held in Cairo yesterday.
The statement came within the ceremony held to honor EFG Hermes Foundation CEO, Hanaa Helmy, after being selected as 2018 Sustainable Development Goal Pioneer by UN Global Compact.
The UN Global Compact is an United Nations initiative to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies.
Al-Fouly said thatsustainable businesses will be the ones to unlock the most financial, social and environmental gains.”All together, we are making global goals local business.”
The UN Global Compact has local networks in approximately 73 countries that are helping local businesses shape the agenda and take action. Working from the bottom up means we’re closest to the realities of local business solutions.
“We are showcasing local leaders through our own SDG Pioneers campaign and theUN Global Compact’s Leaders Summit to inspire further action,” al-Fouly said.
The EFG Hermes Foundation manages a variety of initiatives reaching across Egypt that focus on the three core pillars of poverty alleviation, disease prevention, and youth empowerment.
“The EFG Hermes Foundation has led by example to promote social development and positive change across Egypt over the past 12 years,” said Group CEO of EFG Hermes Karim Awad.
“Through the Foundation, EFG Hermes has consistently been able to fulfill our core pillar of public responsibility. We have also integrated a stronger commitment to ESG (environmental, social and governance) practices into our core business,” Awad added.
In 2017, EFG Hermes officially adopted a policy that defined ESG guidelines for its business lines and publicly demonstrated its commitment to sustainable and responsible investment.
