Our Journey

CIMB Group's business philosophy centers on enduring impact beyond short-term gains. With a legacy spanning over four decades, we drive progress as a financial institution, meeting present expectations while safeguarding the future. Our core mission in banking revolves around fostering empowered growth, enabled by sustainable practices that benefit everyone.​

​

Our accountability extends to our business's influence on both the planet and society. We are committed to responsible operations, aiming to create a net positive impact that aligns with our vision of a better future. This commitment drives us to optimise resources, capabilities and influence for positive economic, environmental, and social change. Our forward-looking approach aims at building a sustainable legacy for CIMB and its stakeholders, including employees, customers and communities.​

We focus on two key aspects for net positive impact. Firstly, minimising our footprint entails reducing negative effects from our operations and enabled activities. This involves conducting environmental and social risk assessments, integrating best management practices and reducing carbon footprint across our value chain.​

​

Secondly, maximising our handprint means creating positive impacts. We achieve this by offering financial services aligned to our Green, Social, Sustainable Impact Products and Services (GSSIPS) framework. Our commitment extends to supporting SMEs, promoting financial inclusion, and sustainable development through partnerships and awareness-building efforts.

CIMB remains strongly committed to advancing sustainability, driving meaningful environmental and social impact through collaboration with clients, customers and stakeholders. Recently, CIMB was recognised for its efforts in sustainability, ranking first among the most influential financial institutions in the Financial System Benchmark by the World Benchmarking Alliance, and securing the top position globally out of 400 financial institutions assessed. CIMB is also the only Malaysian bank to be recognised in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2025, which recognises 66 leading banks worldwide for their climate and decarbonisation strategies, sustainable finance, financial inclusion, governance and risk management efforts.

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 within our own operations, but to create net positive impacts for everyone connected to the Group. This is encapsulated in our Sustainability Principles, which are embedded in our organisational purpose and Forward30 strategy:

• Proactively integrate economic, environmental and social considerations in our business decisions, including financing, investments, and procurement, and in managing our people and operational impacts

• Recognise and be guided by internationally accepted principles from key organisations to promote responsible business performance

• Exercise a precautionary approach, taking due care and diligence to evaluate, adopt and advocate measures that will prevent and minimise environmental harm as well as promote social equality and equity

• Create net positive impact, adopting an inclusive approach to positively influence our business relations in their sustainability performance, and taking a holistic approach in striving for a just transition to a greener economy

• Engage actively and openly with our stakeholders regarding the management of sustainability risk, and to identify opportunities for sustainable development