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Our Sustainability Journey

Our Pledge Towards Sustainability

CIMB Pledge Towards Sustainability

As a leading ASEAN financial institution, CIMB is committed to enabling a just and orderly transition towards a low-carbon, climate-resilient, and inclusive economy. Sustainability is embedded as a strategic priority, with economic, environmental and social (EES) considerations integrated across the Group’s business model, risk management, and decision-making processes to drive long-term value creation.

 

Sustainability is not a standalone agenda, but a core foundation of how CIMB conducts its business, allocates capital, and builds partnerships. It underpins CIMB’s ambition to be a purpose-driven organisation. Through a disciplined and holistic approach, the Group seeks to mitigate adverse EES impacts while actively generating positive outcomes for stakeholders. This includes mobilising sustainable finance, supporting clients in their transition journeys, and strengthening resilience across the communities and markets it serves.

 

Anchored by its purpose of Advancing Customers and Society, CIMB delivers responsible banking solutions that balance present-day needs with long-term sustainability imperatives. With a long-standing regional presence, the Group recognises its role in shaping outcomes that extend beyond financial performance, contributing to broader economic development and societal progress.

The Group focuses on key strategic levers to deliver meaningful and lasting impact across ASEAN.

  • Minimising Our Footprint

    We work to reduce adverse impacts from our operations and enabled activities by integrating environmental and social risk assessments, adopting best-in-class practices, and decarbonising across our value chain.

  • Maximising Our Handprint

    We create positive change by offering sustainable financial products and solutions, supporting our corporate and SME clients in their low-carbon transition, and promoting financial inclusion through strategic partnerships and capacity-building initiatives.

Our Sustainability Highlights

Our commitment is recognised globally. CIMB was recently ranked #1 among 400 financial institutions in the Financial System Benchmark by the World Benchmarking Alliance — a testament to our leadership in driving sustainable finance. We are also the only Malaysian bank featured in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2025, joining a select group of 64 global banks recognised for their climate strategies, financial inclusion, governance, and risk management.

  • Mobilised over RM39.8 billion in Green, Social, Sustainable Impact Products and Services, in 2025.

  • Four out of six sector-specific 2030 interim Net Zero targets are aligned with reference scenarios.

  • Provided RM6.5 billion in financing to low-income families across ASEAN, in 2025.

  • Published Banking on Nature: Advancing our Nature Journey.

  • Completed Human Rights Saliency Assessment to identify and manage our most critical human rights risks.

  • Disbursed RM28.7 million and contributed over 200,000 volunteer hours to local communities, in 2025.

  • #1 globally among 400 financial institutions and #2 in inclusive finance in the World Benchmarking Alliance’s 2025 Financial System Benchmark.

  • MSCI ESG Rating upgraded to AAA up from AA previously.

  • 88th percentile on the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA).

  • Earned our first CDP A-List recognition in the Supplier Engagement Assessment (SEA) for the 2025 disclosure cycle.

2025 Sustainability Report

2025 Sustainability Report

Dive deeper into CIMB’s latest sustainability progress, commitments and impact across economic, environmental and social priorities.

Download Report

Our Approach to Sustainability

Our Strategy Our Strategy

At CIMB, sustainability is how we bring our purpose to life. It’s not just about responding to risk, it’s about shaping a future where businesses thrive, communities prosper, and no one is left behind.
 
We drive sustainable finance in ASEAN through long-term value creation and resilience, Advancing Customers and Society. This ambition guides how we embed environmental and social considerations across all parts of the business, ensuring that sustainability is not just an initiative, but a foundation for enduring impact. 

Explore Our Strategy

Our Principles Our Principles

Through our ASEAN-wide presence, we can play a significant role in shaping the sustainability landscape in the region. Our pledge of #CIMBforTomorrow means that we aim to use our influence to not only improve the environmental, social and governance practices across our own operations, but also to create net positive impact for everyone connected to the Group. This is encapsulated in our Sustainability Principles, which are embedded in our organisational purpose and Forward30 strategy. We will:

  • Aim to ensure that the management of our internal operations and employees is consistent with the applicable sustainability policy requirements
  • Not knowingly engage in business activities or with business relations that do not meet our policy requirements
  • Always strive to create a net positive impact on our business relations and the community, adopt an inclusive approach to our business relations and strive to positively influence their sustainability performance and their commitment
  • Engage actively and openly with our stakeholders in the proactive management of sustainability risk and identification of opportunities for sustainable development
  • Take a proactive approach to integrating economic, environmental and social risk assessments in central processes such as lending, investments, procurement and the management of operational impacts

  • Sustainable Development Goals

    In keeping with our inclusive growth strategy, we support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This definitive plan of action for people, planet and prosperity is anchored by the 17 SDGs.
     
    Based on our material matters, sector exposure, and areas where we have direct impact and influence, we have prioritised 7 of the 17 SDGs (Goals 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15 and 16). All our sustainability efforts, performance tracking, impact reporting and programmes and initiatives in relation to our focus areas are structured and designed to meet specific targets of our 7 priority SDGs.

  • Net Zero by 2050

    We are committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) Scope 1 and 2 emissions in our operations by 2030 and overall Net Zero GHG emissions by 2050 (including Scope 3 financed emissions), in line with Nationally Determined Contributions and the 1.5 degrees scenario of the Paris Climate Agreement. As part of this, we have set 2030 targets for six carbon-intensive sectors, aligned with science-based reference pathway scenarios.

  • Mobilising RM300 billion in Sustainable Finance

    We believe that the financial services sector is uniquely positioned to facilitate and support a just transition towards a low-carbon economy and bridge social gaps. Thus, we have made a commitment to mobilising RM300 billion in Green, Social, Sustainable Impact Products and Services between 2021 and 2030.​

  • No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE)

    In 2022, we rolled out our No Deforestation, No Peat, and No Exploitation commitment to the palm oil, forestry and timber plantation sectors in larger markets, while smaller markets adopted the policy in 2023. We will not finance or facilitate capital raising for companies that are directly involved in the new conversion of High Conservation Value (HCV) areas or peatland, or those that lack legal rights and a policy/commitment on respecting free, prior, and informed consent of indigenous and local communities. Additionally, we will refrain from supporting companies that do not have a policy or commitment to prevent worker exploitation and uphold labour rights.

  • Community Investment & Volunteering

    We believe in leveraging our resources and influence to address social inequalities. We therefore commit to investing RM200 million from 2026 to 2030 in local communities, and to contributing 120,000 volunteering hours annually.​

  • Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF)

    We estimate our financed emissions using the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) methodology - the recommended calculation approach for financed emissions under the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) S2 - to support our Net Zero by 2050 commitment.

  • United Nations Global Compact

    We are a member of the UN Global Compact Network Malaysia & Brunei, a leading voluntary initiative that encourages global businesses to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies based on 10 principles covering human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption.

  • CEO Action Network (CAN)

    We co-founded the CEO Action Network (CAN) with our partner, IMPACTO, in 2020 to create a closed-door, peer-to-peer informal network of CEOs and board members committed to driving sustainable action in corporate Malaysia. With more than 70 members from over 20 critical sectors, CAN aspires to catalyse its members and the broader economy towards proactively shaping future-ready, ESG-integrated business models and ecosystems.

  • Joint Committee on Climate Change

    We play an active role in the Joint Committee on Climate Change (JC3), co-chaired by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC). JC3 works to mobilise collective action in Malaysia’s financial sector to promote climate resilience, both within the sector and across the wider economy. The inputs, insights and recommendations arising from JC3 are used to shape sustainability policies and regulations set by BNM and the SC.

  • Value-Based Intermediation (VBI)

    We are strong advocates of BNM’s Value-Based Intermediation (VBI), which aims to deliver the intended outcomes of Shariah through practices, conduct and offerings that generate positive and sustainable value for the economy, community and environment, and that are consistent with the commitment to delivering sustainable returns and long-term value for shareholders.

Our Material Matters

We recognise that the global banking industry is continuously evolving, with increasing pressure and expectations from society. Materiality assessment is one of our key approaches to identifying the critical economic, environmental and social matters for our organisation, based on input from our stakeholders. We apply the concept of double materiality in our approach, considering both the potential impact of our activities on the environment and society, and how environmental and societal matters may, in turn, impact our business. Visit our Materiality Methodology page to learn more. 
 
Our material matters guide us in driving long-term value creation and competitiveness for the Group. The outcome of the materiality assessment informs our sustainability strategy, which aims to address the material impacts identified. We set measurable and ambitious goals and targets on our strategies and plans to address each identified material matter, which are reported annually in our Sustainability Report, alongside annual progress. 
 
Based on the outcome of our materiality assessment, we prioritised 13 material topics that represent CIMB’s most significant impacts on the economy, environment and society — and the most significant impacts these areas have on CIMB.

Learn More

Our Achievements

  • Sustainability-linked loan of the year - Corporate (APAC): PLN Batam (CIMB Niaga)

    Environmental Finance's Sustainable Debt Awards 2026

  • Gold Winner — 10 Years & Above Non-Strata Office

    The Edge Malaysia Best Managed & Sustainable Property Awards 2026

  • Editor's Choice — Excellence in Corporate Office Transformation & Management

    The Edge Malaysia Best Managed & Sustainable Property Awards 2026

  • Malaysia Domestic Sustainable Finance Initiative of the Year

    ABF Wholesale Banking Awards 2026

  • Best Sustainability Sukuk in Asia 2025

    Alpha Southeast Asia 19th Annual Deal & Solution and ESG Awards 2025

  • Best Sustainability-Linked Sukuk in Asia 2025

    Alpha Southeast Asia 19th Annual Deal & Solution and ESG Awards 2025

  • Best Sustainability Reporting - Platinum

    NACRA

  • Best Sustainability-Linked Sukuk

    The Asset Triple A Islamic Finance Awards 2025

  • Best Sustainability-Linked Sukuk - Plantation

    The Asset Triple A Islamic Finance Awards 2025

  • Best Asean Sustainability SRI Sukuk - Cooperative

    The Asset Triple A Islamic Finance Awards 2025

  • Best SRI Sustainability Sukuk

    The Asset Triple A Islamic Finance Awards 2025

  • Best Sustainability Sukuk - Healthcare

    The Asset Triple A Islamic Finance Awards 2025