Sustainability ambitions 2023

Our ESG ambition

We’re committed to supporting our clients’ sustainability transition by providing them with thought leadership, advice and solutions to help them have a positive impact on the world.

Claudio De Sanctis

Problems such as ocean degradation and biodiversity loss don’t just threaten our environment. They threaten our economy and the fabric of society itself. Solving them requires urgent action, investment and transformation, and we’re committed to playing our part – by shifting mindsets with our thought leadership and building an holistic ESG offering to help our clients achieve positive change.

Claudio de Sanctis, 

Head of Private Bank
Deutsche Bank

 

Our ESG transformation

ESG investment philosophy

  • Our thought leadership leads our ESG approach and underpins our product development strategy for sustainable solutions. In recent years we have published 20 dedicated ESG publications and held more than 250 ESG-focused events and activities, covering the ocean, land and atmosphere.

Products and services

  • We aim to offer clients a suite of investment products incorporating ESG criteria, including discretionary portfolio management, liquid funds, private markets and lending. 
  • Our flagship Strategic Asset Allocation solution takes an exclusion-based ESG approach to ensure clients’ portfolios are built around a sustainable core.
  • We are expanding our ESG liquid funds offering, and our range of dedicated lending products, which include electric vehicle financing, green mortgages and financing home renovations for carbon reduction.
  • We are particularly excited about private markets. In 2023, we plan to launch three private markets funds, and an impact, nature-based solution in 2024. 

Platform and capabilities

  • We have rolled-out ESG training to more than 7,000 colleagues over the last two years and we will continue this huge effort to ensure we deliver a compelling end-to-end ESG experience to our clients. We are advancing our technological capabilities by investing in robust platforms and strong data foundations. 

 

Our partnership with the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA)

We were the first bank to be a full member of the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA) and we will continue our work to scale up global action and private investment in marine and coastal natural capital.

 

Joining ORRAA allowed us to deep-dive into pressures the ocean is experiencing. Last year, we co-hosted our inaugural Ocean Conference in Mallorca, where more than 100 influential investors, entrepreneurs and philanthropists convened to develop ideas for supporting ocean finance.

 

Going forward, we want to tackle opportunities to invest into ocean-related impact solutions for our clients. With this focus and support from ORRAA, we are in a unique position to expand our thought leadership on the ocean and sustainable blue economy, and to integrate that understanding into everything we do. 

 

Watch Claudio de Sanctis, Head of Private Bank, Deutsche Bank, explain our ESG ambitions at Deutsche Bank's Sustainability Deep Dive event on March 2, 2023: 

Click here to activate this content.

Watch Karen Sack, Executive Director of ORRAA, and Markus Müller, Chief Investment Officer ESG & Global Head of Chief Investment Office, Deutsche Bank Private Bank, explaining our partnership and shared focus on the ocean, as shown at Deutsche Bank's Sustainability Deep Dive event on March 2, 2023.

 

Click here to activate this content.

For more details on ORRAA’s recent activities, please see the ORRAA Action Report.

 

 

In Europe, Middle East and Africa as well as in Asia Pacific this material is considered marketing material, but this is not the case in the U.S. The value of an investment can fall as well as rise and you might not get back the amount originally invested at any point in time. Your capital may be at risk.

No assurance can be given that any forecast or target can be achieved. Forecasts are based on assumptions, estimates, opinions and hypothetical models which may prove to be incorrect. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. Performance refers to a nominal value based on price gains/losses and does not take into account inflation. Inflation will have a negative impact on the purchasing power of this nominal monetary value. Depending on the current level of inflation, this may lead to a real loss in value, even if the nominal performance of the investment is positive.

This web page is not an offer to buy a security or enter into any transaction. The products, services, information and/or materials contained within these web pages may not be available for residents of certain jurisdictions. Please consider the sales restrictions relating to the products or services in question for further information. Deutsche Bank does not give tax or legal advice; prospective investors should seek advice from their own tax advisers and/or lawyers before entering into any investment.

ESG is an acronym that stands for Environment, Social, Governance. Our ESG framework takes into account applicable regulations and is assessed and updated continually, plus guiding principles developed in-house based on Deutsche Bank’s values and beliefs. However, there is currently a lack of uniform criteria and a common market standard for the assessment and classification of financial services and financial products as sustainable. This can lead to different providers assessing the sustainability of financial services and financial products differently. In addition, there are various new regulations on ESG and Sustainable Finance, which need to be substantiated, and further draft regulations are currently being developed, which may lead to financial services and financial products currently labelled as sustainable not meeting future legal requirements for qualification as sustainable.

Change of name: As part of Deutsche Bank’s Private Bank, the former International Private Bank also adopted this title on July 20, 2023.

Our ESG expertise

esg sustainable economy

CIO Special report

ESG Market Monitor: Q2 2024

Our ESG Market Monitor publication is designed to help you stay informed and up-to-date on the latest developments in environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing and the transition to more sustainable economies.

Jul 10, 2024


esg sustainable economy

CIO Special report

ESG Market Monitor: Q1 2024

Our ESG Market Monitor publication is designed to help you stay informed and up-to-date on the latest developments in environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing and the transition to more sustainable economies.

May 17, 2024


esg market monitor desk

CIO Special report

ESG Market Monitor: Q4 2023

Our ESG Market Monitor publication is designed to help you stay informed and up-to-date on the latest developments in environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing and the transition to more sustainable economies.

Feb 20, 2024


CIO ESG Survey 2023 (1)

CIO Special report

ESG Survey 2023: Sustainable transition and investment

Over the last three years, our annual survey has examined our private, business and institutional clients’ attitudes to the multiple dimensions of ESG (environmental, social and governance) investing. This year, we had 1,759 responses to our survey, double the 849 received in 2022.

Nov 22, 2023


esg desk

CIO Special report

ESG Market Monitor: Q3 2023

Our ESG Market Monitor publication is designed to help you stay informed and up-to-date on the latest developments in environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing and the transition to more sustainable economies.

Nov 01, 2023


CIO Special | Deutsche Bank Wealth Management

CIO Special report

ESG & investment performance: think strategically

The key to sustained long-term returns from ESG investment is effective strategic asset allocation.

Oct 24, 2023


CIO Special | Deutsche Bank Wealth Management

CIO Special report

Smart mobility: switch, optimise, prioritise

Once we looked to technology to make transportation systems cheaper, faster or safer. But “smart mobility” needs to be more sustainable too - and the primary challenge may be social in nature.

Oct 20, 2023


Rainforests: the Earth’s green lung | Deutsche wealth management services

CIO Nature Series

Rainforests: the Earth’s green lung

Rainforests provide invaluable ecosystem services supporting climate management, biodiversity, and rural livelihoods—but they are also fragile. In this publication, we focus on four key concerns: deforestation, climate change, poaching and illegal trade, and mining and oil extraction

Aug 02, 2023


cio esg market monitor red

CIO Special report

ESG Market Monitor: Q2 2023

Our ESG Market Monitor publication is designed to help you stay informed and up-to-date on the latest developments in environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing and the transition to more sustainable economies.

Jun 01, 2023


Mangroves: why they need protection | Deutsche wealth management services

CIO Nature Series

Mangroves: why they need protection

Mangroves are highly important for biodiversity and play a crucial role as nature-based solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change, even though they make up less than 1% of all tropical forests worldwide.

Jan 24, 2023


See more

ESG perspective

life pillar desk

Jargon-busting series

What are Life Pillars?

Life Pillars provide essential resources and services crucial for the prosperity of humanity and the global economy — and yet they are often undervalued or taken for granted.

Aug 01, 2024


markus karen panel economist desktop

Event report

The metrics that matter: investing in the sustainable blue economy

At the Economist’s 11th annual World Ocean Summit, we hosted a "How To" session aimed at creating a set of action points and practical takeaways for individuals and organisations committed to restoring ocean health.

Jun 10, 2024


Sea Boat sealing in ocean view from above. Aerial view of moving boat or yacht in sea.

The sustainable blue economy

An ocean journey

We are on a journey to raise awareness about the importance of the ocean to the global economy and life on earth. Our focus on the ocean has shaped our research and deepened our understanding of the links between nature and the economy.

Jun 10, 2024


investing blue economy desk

Future Fundamentals podcast

Investing in the Blue Economy: a blueprint for action

In our Future Fundamentals podcast, Karen Sack, of ORRAA, and Markus Müller, our Chief Investment Officer for ESG, take a deep dive into the sustainable blue economy.

Apr 26, 2024


banner1 ocean summitjpg

Expert View

The 2024 Economist Impact World Ocean Summit

Our CIO for ESG, Markus Müller, addressed some of the world's leading ocean thinkers, investors and advocates at this event in Lisbon designed to drive progress towards a sustainable blue economy.

Apr 25, 2024


Atmosphere: Shield of the earth | Deutsche wealth management services

CIO Special report

Atmosphere: Shield of the earth

The third in our trilogy of keynote presentations on the Earth's "Life Pillars" explains why climate-related risks and opportunities should be important considerations for investors with regard to long-term portfolio development.

Mar 26, 2024


Bubbles 6 May 2017 Teahupoo Tahiti French Polynesia Ben Thouard

Feature article

Creating positive energy: how to accelerate green infrastructure

To achieve the Paris Agreement target of net zero by 2050, the world needs to shift to green infrastructure – now. In this feature for LUX magazine, Claire Asher shows how the public and private sectors can speed the move from fossil fuels to green energy.

Aug 15, 2023


vortex ben thouard

Feature article

Entrepreneurs on creating businesses for the good of the oceans

A new generation of individuals are setting up companies worldwide to radically overhaul how we interact with our oceans, and help save our planet while building a sustainable blue economy. Chris Stokel-Walker of LUX magazine speaks to entrepreneurs trying to make a positive impact in the ocean space.

Aug 15, 2023


blue economy whale deutsche bank main mob

The sustainable blue economy

What is the blue economy?

The sustainable blue economy​ refers to all economic activity linked to the ocean that takes place within a framework designed to protect the environment, conserve natural resources and allow for equitable development​.

Aug 14, 2023


Rainforests: the Earth’s green lung | Deutsche wealth management services

CIO Nature Series

Rainforests: the Earth’s green lung

Rainforests provide invaluable ecosystem services supporting climate management, biodiversity, and rural livelihoods—but they are also fragile. In this publication, we focus on four key concerns: deforestation, climate change, poaching and illegal trade, and mining and oil extraction

Aug 02, 2023


See more