Stakeholder panel

Triodos Bank conducts sustainability research on the basis of a wide range of social, environmental and corporate governance criteria. The criteria cover issues that we consider to be important elements for assessing the sustainability performance of a company. These issues may also directly or indirectly affect different stakeholders such as interest groups, organisations and individuals. Given that these stakeholders often have expertise in issues that are central to our work, we highly value a regular exchange of views. We also believe that it’s important for stakeholders to understand the nature of our work and to critically reflect upon the way our sustainability research is conducted.
To provide a formal platform for a regular dialogue on these issues, we have set up an international advisory panel, consisting of ten experts representing various interest groups such as employers, consumers, environmental organisations, trade unions, human rights groups, development and aid organisations, and academia. Panel members participate in a personal capacity, solely having an advisory role. A short description of each member is found below:

• Mrs. Gemma Crijns is an expert in the field of human rights and relations between social organisations and business
• Mr. Jan Jacob van Dijk is an expert in the field of labour rights and trade unions
• Mr. Jan de Vries is an environmental expert
• Mr. Eduard Kimman is a professor in business ethics
• Mr. Wouter van der Weijden is an expert in the field of agriculture and environment
• Mr. Jason Anderson is an expert in climate change and energy policy and technology
• Mr. Xavier Baeten is an expert in strategic rewarding, executive pay, and stakeholder management
• Mr. Luc Weyn is an expert in criteria and research methodology for sustainable investment products
• Mr. Peter Ho is a professor in international development studies
• Mrs. Caroline Lucas is an expert in green economics and sustainable development.

The panel meets three to four times per year, and provides feedback and advises on issues including:

• the general methodology for conducting sustainability ratings of companies 
• the minimum standards used to assess a company’s sustainability and their application 
• the relative importance of social and environmental issues within a particular industry or sector 
• other issues that contribute to ensuring high quality and reliable research.