Page 41 - Banking Finance November 2025

ARTICLE

application of environmental sustainability in HR practices. practices, diversity, equity, and employee well-being. It also
Indian banks are adopting GHRM practices to reduce their includes Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives
carbon footprint and promote eco-friendly initiatives. Banks where banks integrate community-focused programs into
are taking initiatives to cover maximum buildings certified their operations.
by Indian Green Building Council. For instance Union Bank
of India's Staff training centre (Union Bank Knowledge Cen- According to a report from KPMG India (2023), more than
tre Bengaluru) spread across 36.52 acres has been certi- 70% of Indian banks now incorporate social sustainability
fied as Green Building by IGBC in Oct 2024. The training goals in their HR strategies. These include gender equality,
college integrates energy-efficient designs and eco-friendly diversity initiatives, employee health and wellness pro-
materials, significantly reducing its environmental impact. grams, and engagement in local community development
A key element of such projects is the role of HR in driving projects.
sustainability culture among employees.
Employee Welfare:
Key Practices:
Health and Wellness Programs: Given the high levels
Recruitment and Training: Recruiting employees who
align with sustainability goals and providing training to of stress in the banking sector, leading banks like Union
Bank of India (UBI) have implemented wellness pro-
integrate environmental consciousness within the work-
place. grams named S.W.A.R (Supporting Wellness and Resil-
ience that focus on mental health, stress management,
Green Incentives: Offering incentives for employees and work-life balance for employees .
who adopt green practices, such as reduced energy
Diversity and Inclusion: Diversity has become a prior-
consumption, paperless communication, and sustain-
able commuting methods. ity for HR departments in India's banks. All Banks are
taking initiatives to increase the representation of
Many Banks are also launching its Green Banking program, women in leadership roles by 2025 and has an ongoing
which was embedded into the recruitment process. New policy to promote women in leadership positions.
employees were briefed on the bank's sustainability goals
and were offered opportunities for additional training on CSR Initiatives:
climate change and green practices. This approach en- Banks can encourage employee participation in community
hanced employee engagement and instilled a sense of re-
outreach and development programs. For instance, they can
sponsibility toward environmental sustainability.
establish educational initiatives for underprivileged children
Social Integration: Employee Welfare and or support rural development projects in areas such as clean
water access, Education and Healthcare.HR policies can
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) support such initiatives by providing paid time off to em-

Social sustainability in HR focuses on promoting fair labour ployees volunteering in these efforts, thereby ensuring that
CSR is deeply embedded in employee engagement frame-
works.

Governance Integration: Ethical Practices

and Transparency
Governance in HR involves fostering ethical leadership, trans-
parency, accountability, and anti-corruption measures. Indian
banks are focusing on ethical practices in recruitment, per-
formance evaluation, and leadership development.

Ethical Leadership and Accountability:

Banks can adopt comprehensive governance frameworks to

BANKING FINANCE | NOVEMBER | 2025 | 37