Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc., parent company of Berkshire Bank, released its 2022 environmental, social, and governance report April 26.
The Purpose and Performance that Matters report highlights the company’s environmental, social and governance activities, its performance as well as progress on its $5 billion BEST Community Comeback program.
Through that multi-year program that launched in 2021, Berkshire Bank committed to fueling small businesses, community financing and philanthropy, financial access and empowerment, and funding environmental sustainability.
So far, the program has provided more than $1 billion in financing in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods and lending to more than $300 million to support low-carbon projects.
The report also highlighted that the company issued the first sustainability bond by a public community bank holding company with less than $150 billion in assets in the U.S.
“All of Berkshire’s collective ESG efforts are positively contributing to our commercial performance, creating capacity to invest more in our business, customers, employees, communities, and shareholders,” said Berkshire CEO Nitin Mhatre [pictured above with regional president Cristina Feden and representatives of the YMCA of Greater Providence].
Company Investment
Berkshire also launched the Center for Women, Wellness & Wealth, which addresses areas of social & economic disparity, specifically for women.
The report highlighted the company’s investment of $3.5 million in community contributions and more than 23,000 hours of employee volunteer time, benefitting more than 500 community organizations.
“The collective actions of the company and all our employees are helping build more just and sustainable communities.”
Berkshire Bank’s Gary Levante
“The collective actions of the company and all our employees are helping build more just and sustainable communities, creating jobs along our main streets, putting more people in homes, and supporting a green and equitable economy,” said Berkshire Bank SVP of corporate responsibility Gary Levante.
Berkshire was included in Bloomberg’s Gender Equality Index and Human Rights Campaign Best Places to Work for LGBTQIA+ Equality.
The company was also recognized by Newsweek as one of the top 10 most trustworthy banks in the country.
Headquartered in Boston, Berkshire Bank has 100 financial centers in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Vermont, and Rhode Island.
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