Deutsche Bank Governance and operations Non-Financial Report 2022 Stakeholder engagement and thought leadership Stakeholder engagement and thought leadership – Climate change and decarbonization remained a stakeholder focus – Participation at UN Climate Change Conference for the second time GRI 2-12/29, FS3 Fair and open dialog with all its stakeholder groups is very important to Deutsche Bank. The bank wants to understand their expectations and concerns about its strategy, business activities and social responsibilities. This helps the bank identify its potentially positive and negative impacts. Deutsche Bank’s core stakeholders belong to the following groups: clients, employees, investors, regulators, and society at large, including e. g. media and non-governmental organizations. The bank has clearly defined responsibilities toward each stakeholder group. Mandates for interaction are delegated to the respective business division or infrastructure function. They use a variety of formats to engage with stakeholders. In addition, a materiality assessment helps identify its stakeholders’ sentiment on the topics they regard as most relevant to the bank. Clients Sustainability has gained significant momentum across all the bank’s client groups. The bank sees it as its responsibility to advise its clients in areas where they are looking for guidance and support for their transformation. Regular dialog helps the bank to understand its clients’ expectations, interests and needs and translate them into action. Deutsche Bank engages with its clients in many ways, including for example, personal or virtual meetings, calls, regular surveys, and the analysis of feedback it receives e. g. via its branches or hotlines. Deutsche Bank representatives are involved in discussions at various conferences and events. The bank also communicates via digital communication channels and publishes papers on sustainability topics. Climate change and the transition of the global economy towards sustainability remained an important topic for clients in the Corporate Bank and Investment Bank as well as investors, keeping the interest in sustainable finance products and services at a high level. Private clients requested best-in-class transparency and ESG advisory and shifted their behavior strongly towards digital channels. In 2022, Deutsche Bank continued to support its clients with its financial expertise and product offerings on their path to sustainability. For details, see “Sustainable finance” chapter. Employees Employees are at the heart of Deutsche Bank’s success. The ideas and skills as well as the commitment and wellbeing of its employees are essential to a productive workforce. Strong relationships, open communication, and learning from feedback are key in fostering a trusting environment in which employees take accountability and collaborate. The bank’s annual People Survey, exit and pulse surveys as well as a continuous dialogue with its employees help to understand its employees’ motivation and their perceived productivity. Several communication channels including team meetings, employee networks, emails, newsletters, townhalls and the ability to comment on intranet pages encourage the bank’s employees to share their thoughts and give feedback. In 2022, the bank’s People Survey indicated that employees’ commitment and sense that they are enabled remained at the high levels brought about by the bank’s response to COVID-19 and the strengthened focus on leadership and behaviors at that time. Renewed focus on these areas shall continue to support cultural progress of the recent years and strengthen employee commitment. How Deutsche Bank managed employee-related aspects is detailed in the “Employment and employability” chapter. Investors Investors expect Deutsche Bank to execute its strategy and transformation program to build a strong business that delivers consistent returns while managing risk responsibly. This includes the bank proactively addressing strategic opportunities and risks related to sustainability, including the transition towards a climate-neutral economy as well as social and governance aspects. 75