UOB has appointed Eric Lim in the newly created role of chief sustainability officer (CSO), according to a press statement.

The appointment is an extension of his current role as the bank’s head of group finance, where he oversees financial strategy, capital management, regulatory and financial reporting, tax management, business finance and performance management.

Lim is also the chairperson of UOB Group’s ESG committee, which is responsible for reviewing the bank’s material ESG topics, identifying relevant risks and opportunities and monitoring the progress of sustainability-related programmes and initiatives.

In his new role, Lim will lead a dedicated corporate sustainability office and focus on achieving the bank’s sustainability objectives of helping businesses to advance responsibly, steering consumer wealth to sustainable investments and fostering social inclusiveness and environmental well-being.

The corporate sustainability office will work closely with the business and support functions across UOB’s network to increase focus, engagement on and execution of the bank’s sustainability strategy. The team will also develop and monitor key performance indicators of the bank’s strategic sustainability goals, including UOB’s own carbon footprint target.

Under the CSO role, Lim will report to Wee Ee Cheong, deputy chairman and CEO. Lim will continue to report to Lee Wai Fai, group chief financial officer, in his head of group finance role.

Lim will also join the bank’s management committee, which is chaired by the CEO and comprises the bank’s most senior leaders across the region.

Lim joined UOB in 2013, according to the statement. Before that, he was managing director and head of wholesale banking finance for Singapore and Southeast Asia at a multinational bank.