STORYTELLING

Developing and creating the sustainability report for the European Investment Bank (EIB) is a significant challenge. The report must meet the requirements of financial market analysts and is thus subject, at least formally, to the classic Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards—and this is merely a minimum requirement. At the same time, it must also tell a striking story that showcases how European Union (EU) citizens benefit from EU investments.

Our approach was based on a clear separation between reporting and storytelling. We created a GRI report that provided a comprehensive and transparent account of all relevant non-financial information. We then presented highly personal stories, selected through extensive prior research, in a complementary digital magazine. The decisive question was this: What initiatives or business models most significantly contribute to sustainable development thanks to being financed by the EIB?

The sustainability report presents the business of the EIB in a clear and transparent manner, demonstrating well the benefits that the bank is creating for EU member states and their citizens. The online magazine also makes it possible for individual stories from the report to be shared across social networks.

 

EIB Group 2017 Sustainability Report