[...] Due to legal reasons we cannot comment on potential, existing or former client relationships.

Deutsche Bank has a set of requirements and guiding principles that we apply to our client and business selection processes in order to promote sustainable agriculture. As part of this approach, we require clients to participate in certification schemes and expect them to publicly demonstrate their commitment to No Deforestation standards. We reject accusations that we are knowingly providing direct financing for projects or activities related to deforestation of primary tropical forests or that are located in sensitive areas such as ”high conservation value” areas. Of course, this also applies to projects where illegal logging occurs.

To identify, prevent, and/or mitigate adverse human rights impacts, Deutsche Bank considers whether it could be exposed to any risk of contributing to (or being directly linked to) human rights violations through the business activities of, and association with, its clients. Deutsche Bank will not engage in business activities where it has substantiated evidence of material adverse human rights impacts and it is determined through Deutsche Bank’s internal processes that such adverse human rights impacts cannot be avoided or appropriately mitigated. With reference to our internal guidelines and processes, we clearly reject allegations that Deutsche Bank knowingly finances projects with provable links to human rights violations.

In general, we address environmental and social issues in our ongoing dialogue with our clients. Our dialogue scope also covers media reporting, including reports from NGOs as well as individual statements from clients. On this basis we decide how to proceed depending on existing contractual agreements. As ultima ratio, this may also mean that we terminate a business relationship.

Our Environmental and Social Policy Framework is publicly available on our website. Further information on Deutsche Bank's approach to its responsibility to respect human rights, including our Statement on Human Rights, is also published on our website:

https://www.db.com/files/documents/db-es-policy-framework-english.pdf

https://www.db.com/files/documents/deutsche-bank-human-rights-statement.pdf [...]

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