Responsibility & Diversity

We make our greatest contribution to society by supporting economic growth around the world, and being responsible about how we do this. Our products and services give businesses the support they need to grow, help people manage their everyday lives more efficiently, and invest for the future.

Corporate Responsibility in Barclays is embodied by the concept of ‘responsible banking’. Responsible banking is an integral part of the way we do business, and a central element of our overall strategy to make Barclays one of the world’s leading banks.

Responsible banking means making informed, reasoned and ethical decisions about how we conduct our business, how we treat our employees and how we behave towards our customers and clients. Thinking about financial inclusion in both social and commercial terms is a good mindset to have, and we approach this issue as we would any other business challenge. This means having a full understanding of the needs of the people we are trying to reach, and taking a creative approach to addressing whatever barriers are standing in their way.

This is why we have to be realistic about what we can do ourselves and what can be better achieved by the Government or community organisations. The key is getting all these groups to work together, which is why we put emphasis on collaborations and partnerships when we are dealing with this challenge.

Community

At Barclays we take our social responsibilities very seriously indeed. We’re particularly proud of our leading communities investment programme which added up to £46.5 million in 2006 and continues to grow.

We believe in a better future for everyone. To make that possible, people need the resources and capability to move out of debt, poverty and disadvantage. We focus on debt counselling, getting people into work or self-employment and ensuring increased financial capability through education. We use our skills and expertise, as well as our money, to bring about real change within the communities around us.

Environment

Barclays is the third largest project finance lender in the world, and was amongst the first to develop a robust and structured approach to dealing with environmental issues. We started assessing and managing environmental risks in 1997, and five years down the line we were one of the first banks to recognise that there was a need to raise standards across the whole sector.

Our key objectives as an organisation are to reduce our impact on climate change through more efficient energy use and travel, reduce our use of natural resources such as water and paper, and improve waste management by reducing, reusing and recycling wherever possible. At the same time, we have made a voluntary commitment to fund only those projects that can be developed in a manner that is socially responsible and reflects sound environmental management practices.

Diversity

“Changes in the global economy, our client base and workforce are transforming the wealth management landscape, providing new opportunities for our business and our people. In this evolving marketplace, achieving our corporate vision is a unique and exciting challenge: one that will require the most productive and creative employees. I firmly believe that only a diverse workforce will bring those qualities and without a doubt, attracting, developing and motivating diverse talent must be a priority for us.”

Thomas L. Kalaris, Chief Executive, July 2006

At Barclays Wealth we are committed to providing creative and innovative solutions for our clients. The attraction and retention of world-class professionals enables us to fulfil that commitment. We actively promote Diversity to sustain continued business success and therefore we are determined to:

• Build a workforce that reflects the communities in which we live and work so that we are best able to meet the needs of our clients.

• Ensure that the talents of all our employees are fully utilised and that no job applicant or employee will receive more or less favourable treatment on the grounds of race, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation or nationality.

• Provide our employees with a working environment which encourages dignity and respect and is free from discrimination and harassment.

• Be an employer that has a reputation for fairness, integrity, innovation and creativity in order to attract and retail clients as well as potential and existing employees.