Rabobank

Building better reports together

Aligning two strategies is far from an easy task. That is why Rabobank called in the help of reporting partner CF Report to assist in aligning the bank’s business and sustainability strategies. Based on this concept, the design, structure, and content of Rabobank’s Annual Report and its annual Impact Report were more closely aligned. To this end, use was made of the reporting tool Tangelo.

Strategy

Alignment of two strategies and two reports

Rabobank is well-known for its cooperative background, social engagement, and CSR policy. The bank publishes an extensive annual report each year with detailed information and accountability, for example, regarding outstanding loans and its investment portfolio. Rabobank already discloses non-financial information in a separate Impact Report. The bank decided it was time to take its Impact Report to the next level. A report that the CEO could, for example, take with him when meeting with clients.

To realize this ambition, workshops were held to help align the bank’s business and sustainability strategies. In addition, CF Report provided advice to Rabobank on integrating CSRD in its reporting. Based on this approach, both reports were ultimately produced, resulting in more consistency, uniformity and focus on impact.

Touchpoints

Annual Report 2023

Online 2023

Results

Purpose as reporting backbone

The creative concept that CF Report developed for both reports is based on the Rabobank’s cooperative DNA. The mission statement ‘Growing a better world together’ was incorporated structurally in the sections ‘Better World’ and ‘Better Bank’. Both the internal objectives as well as the external impacts were included in the report so that Rabobank’s sustainability agenda (with a focus on sustainable sourcing and environmental impacts) was incorporated in the Impact Report in a logical and integrated manner. Rabobank’s efforts were illustrated and visualized with cases and examples. As a result, the ESG statements are integrated in the cooperative bank’s DNA.