United Commercial Bank, run by CEO Arif Quadri, already had a three-decade-long reputation as a solid corporate citizen when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. It has either sponsored or contributed to myriad projects to improve access to the health sector and education for many years. It has also prioritized financial literacy and the wellbeing of women, children, and people with disabilities.
More recently, the social contract between the bank and the community has turned to incentivizing sustainability.
Much of UCB’s focus is on natural disasters. The bank has positioned itself as a strong stakeholder, participating in activities to protect the environment and mitigate such risks around the country.
It funds programmes to create greater awareness of climate change and environmental degradation. These include planting trees, conducting seminars on ecological balance and working with organizations leading the charge in disaster mitigation and management initiatives.
UCB funds initiatives to promote renewable energy use, to encourage conservation and to deemphasize high-carbon energy consumption. That includes working with non-government organizations to strengthen community mechanisms for reducing carbon.
The bank is a contributor to health-sector causes as part of its corporate social responsibility programme.