5.17.2007 - 06:30am ET

(CSRwire) Barclays has launched its eighth CR Report - Corporate Responsibility Report 2006 (Sustainable Banking) - available via http://www.reportalert.info/ra/Barclays170507.htm.

Covering 2006, the report examines the two key developments driving corporate responsibility in 2006 - the growing understanding of the consequences of climate change, and the evolving debate around sustainability.

The report is structured around 10 key issues/commitments -Barclays work for its customers; responsible lending; financial inclusion; financing commercial customers; growing internationally; climate change; working with suppliers; Barclays employees; managing its direct environmental impacts; and its global community investment.

The key points of the report include:

- Barclays work on responsible lending and data sharing, where across the industry around 350 million bank accounts details have been shared;

- An update on the bank's financial inclusion work in the UK and Africa, including an update on its microfinance strategy, as well as the 1 million basic bank accounts which have been provided;

- An update on social and environmental management of commercial lending practises;

- The bank's climate change and environment strategy;

- Barclays global community investment programme.

The report was produced taking account of the international AA1000 Standard and in accordance with the 2002 GRI sustainable reporting guidelines, including the Financial Sector Supplements. Assurance was provided by the Corporate Citizenship Company, which found the report provided a fair and balanced representation of the material aspects of Barclays performance.

A member of the 2006 Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the 2006 FTSE4Good Index, a Platinum Company in the BITC Corporate Responsibility Index, and ranked in the top 50 of the Global FT500 companies in the Carbon Disclosure Project, Barclays operates in over 50 countries, employees 123,000 people and has over 27 million customers.

Any questions or feedback about the report should be directed using contact available on http://www.reportalert.info/ra/Barclays170507.htm

Visit www.CorporateRegister.com to access 13,800 CSR reports.

For more information please contact: