Loan Policy
Through honest and fair corporate activities, the Chiba Bank strives for sustainable management aiming at achieving both economic and social value by addressing a variety of environmental and social issues, including human rights violations and countermeasures for climate change in response to global warming.
1. Prohibited Business across sectors
We will never provide loans to the following businesses which we consider have serious risks or negative impacts on the environment and society.
- Business contrary to public order and morals
- Business having negative impacts on the wetlands specified under Ramsar Convention
- Business having negative impacts on World Heritage designated by UNESCO (excluding the case with prior consent from the national government and UNESCO)
- Business violating The Washington Treaty (considering the reservations in each country)
- Business violating human rights by such as forced labor and child labor
2. Policy on a specific sector
We have established the following policies to clarify our lending attitudes with respect to specific sectors where we consider lending has large impacts on the environment and society.
Credit to Newly Established Coal-fired Power Plants
In principle, we will not provide loans to newly established or expanded coal-fired thermal power plants.
However, in case where support from such as the Government of Japan or international development organizations can be confirmed, exceptionally we may carefully consider providing credit support after taking account of the factors and the background of each individual project, such as power generation efficiency or environmental impacts with referencing international guidelines*.
*OECD Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credit, etc.
Credit to Coal Mining
We will never provide loans to new coal mining projects, expansion of existing facilities, and mountaintop removal coal mining.
Credit to Cluster Munition and Inhuman Weapons Manufacturers
Due to the inhumanity of cluster munitions, we prohibit providing loans to companies that manufacture cluster munitions, regardless of the purpose of fund usage. In addition, we will never provide loans to manufacturing inhuman weapons (such as nuclear weapons, biochemical weapons and antipersonnel land mine).
Credit to Oil and Gas Sector
When we provide loans to projects such as developing oil sand, shale oil and gas, mining oil and gas in the Arctic Circle, and building gas pipeline, we will make a credit decision with due consideration of the concern for the environment and the surrounding community.
Credit to Palm Oil Farm Development
When we provide loans to development of palm oil plantations, we will make a credit decision with due attention to the status of obtaining RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, the international certification for sustainable palm oil), environmental considerations, and troubles with local communities.
Credit to Deforestation Business
When we provide loans to deforestation business, we will make a credit decision with due attention to the status of obtaining internationally recognized certifications such as FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes), environmental considerations, and troubles with local communities.
Credit to Large -Scale Hydropower Plant
When we provide loans to development of large scale hydropower plant, we will make a credit decision with due consideration of the impacts on natural environment, biodiversity, and living environment for local residents who have to relocate.