AFTER LIFE COMMUNICATION PLAN

Transcription

1 AFTER LIFE COMMUNICATION PLAN GREENbanking4Life LIFE06 ENV/GR/ Athens, 15 March 2010

2 GREENbanking4Life project Developing Green Products in the Financial Sector and Reducing Environmental Impacts of Bank Services Project Description The general aim of the current project was to improve Piraeus Bank s environmental performance and disseminate gained expertise. The entire project was based on the assumption that what you can measure, you can also change. The project comprised three main parts. The first included assessment, management and reduction of the Bank s direct (operational) environmental impacts, while the second included assessment, management and reduction of the Bank s indirect (core business) impacts. The former were defined as the impacts that are attributed to the daily operational activities of the Bank (i.e. heating and lighting, transport of employees, waste, purchasing of goods and use of resources like paper and water). The latter were defined as the impacts the Bank has through its lending practices and investments. The third part included raising awareness amongst the Bank s employees and disseminating expertise to clients, subsidiaries and the broader public. The guiding philosophy behind the project was that by enhancing environmental responsibility, within the Bank, and by educating clients and the general public, we can create a major paradigm shift in society that will help to further promote the principles of sustainability. ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OPERATIONAL CORE BUSINESS MITIGATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AWARENESS EDUCATION - DISSEMINATION

3 Project Results Α. Management of environmental operational impacts Environmental decision making support system The creation of a novel software to garner and analyze data that allows for the continuous monitoring and precise evaluation of the environmental operational impacts regarding the consumption of energy, water and other resources, as well as the use of consumables and the business trips, for all the Bank s buildings. Guides of good environmental practice The publication of five guides to conserve energy and water; to recycle used materials; for green procurements; and management of business trips. Recycling of 680 tonnes of paper 2,642 kg of batteries 1,680 items 60.6 tonnes of computer and other electronic equipment 5,065 kg of plastic 2,600 kg of accumulators and 180kg of light bulbs Green procurements Purchase of recycled and chlorine-free office paper, resulting in saving 26,000 trees during the last three years. Energy management Installing photovoltaic systems on 4 Bank s buildings, with a total capacity of 45 KW. The clean energy produced is equivalent to the avoidance of 57 tonnes of CO 2 annually, which in turn corresponds to the amount of green house gases absorbed by 4,200 trees. Monitor screens were also set up within the buildings to demonstrate, to the staff and public, the benefits of producing solar energy in terms of amounts of CO 2 and heating petrol saved. Water saving Reducing water consumption by fitting taps with timers and establishing a pilot system of rainwater harvesting on a Bank s building, on one of the islands of the Cyclades. Business trips management The application of e-learning programmes to educate the Bank s employees has resulted, over the last two years, in the reduction of trips by 950,000 km. Τhis is equivalent to avoiding the emissions of 170 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Initiation of a pilot car pooling project, to provide employees the ability of sharing a vehicle to commute to work.

4 Β. Management of core business environmental impacts A feasibility study on the potential development of green business in Greece. Creation and launch of specially designed green products to support investments in Renewable Energy Sources (RES). These products aim at private individuals, small and large enterprises. They offer the possibility of leasing, as well as a complete insurance package. Creation and launch of specially designed green mortgages for energy saving and eco-building. The products aim at private individuals who wish to install large scale energy saving systems on their premises. Creation and launch of specially designed consumer loans Green for private individuals that wish to retrofit their homes with small scale energy saving systems. The environmental benefits of green products: In total, through funding RES projects, Piraeus Bank avoids the emissions of tonnes, of carbon dioxide annually. C. Communication-Awareness-Education Electronic communication Construction of a dedicated website ( with an average per month visitation of 600 users. Over 1,000 references on the internet regarding the GREENbanking4Life project. Creation of an e-learning programme, with five modules on climate change, energy, water, recycling, and green procurements. Over 11% of the Bank s staff has voluntarily completed the modules. Weekly green news on the Bank s intranet and in its periodic publications. The green news focused on national and international trends in green economy and the environment. Around employees visited the green news on the intranet every week. Printed communication Over 250 articles and advertisements were published in newspapers and magazines. The Guide of Good Practices for Enterprises was distributed directly to thousands of companies. Leaflets were distributed to customers through all the Bank s branches.

5 Meetings-workshops Three capacity building meetings were organised for the top management of Piraeus Bank Bulgaria, Piraeus Bank Romania and Piraeus Bank Cyprus in order to transfer expertise on mitigating operational environmental impacts and developing green banking products. The benchmarking workshop Sustainable Banking and Green Business was organised by Piraeus Bank for 50 top management staff members with the participation of experts from other financial institutions in Europe and international organizations that are involved in green banking. Rewarding environmental behaviours A recycling competition «Green behaviour wins!» was held to reward the best environmental performance within the Bank regarding recycling of paper, batteries and ink cartridges/toners. Rewards and prizes were given to the winners during two special events held in Athens and Thessaloniki. The green branch GREEN BANKING The GREEN BANKING branch, the first of its kind in the Balkans, operated as an information point for the general public regarding opportunities in green business and promotion of the products/services Piraeus Bank offer in this field. Over 500 people have visited the GREEN BANKING branch. Additionally, the green branch operated as a help desk for all the Bank s branches in issues pertaining to the environmental and green products. Improvement of employees environmental performance Overall, through the environmental interventions Piraeus Bank implemented, and notably those included in the GREENbanking4Life project, the average score of the employees environmental attitudes and behaviours increased from 5.8 (June 2007) to 6.3 (September 2009) on a 10 point scale.

6 After-LIFE Communication Plan During the implementation of this Life Environment project, the foundations of a comprehensive communication and education strategy were set. This strategy proved to be rather effective in achieving the objectives of the project. It is a fact that certain deliverables and approaches can be used to promote environmental awareness among employees and the public even after the completion of the Life project. It is also a fact that these approaches can be adapted and used by Piraeus Bank s subsidiaries both in Greece and abroad. The above fit in perfectly with Piraeus Bank s general strategy to promote environmental awareness and education in order to facilitate the enhancement of sustainable business. This is simply because; Piraeus Bank is convinced that its success in business is correlated with the health of the environment and the robustness of society. In the table below are included the awareness and dissemination actions that will be continued by Piraeus Bank After Life. DELIVERABLE- ACTION within the GREENbanking4Life project Five module environmental e-learning programme for employees. Website for Life project and other intranet applications, employee awareness via intranet applications, smart database with info on recycling and resource use. FUTURE PLANS The programme will continue throughout 2010 and Minor updates, if needed, will be made in 2011 to incorporate any new developments regarding the issues touched upon by the modules. Collaboration with the Ecological Recycling Society will be crucial in maintaining the e-learning programme fully updated. The e-learning programme will be pilot tested in 2010 in Piraeus Bank Cyprus, and following any technical adjustments may be fully used in 2011 by all its employees. Providing funding is ensured, the updated e-learning modules will be translated into Romanian and Bulgarian and used by the end of 2011 in the Bank s subsidiaries of these countries. The project s website will be updated and maintained at least for the next 5 years. Visitation will be monitored. The environmental news section both on the intranet and the Bank s main internet site will be maintained and regularly updated with news from the environmental achievements of Piraeus Bank. News from the new Life+ project ClimaBiz will also feature on these sites. The weekly presentation of Green News will continue at least for the next three years. Emphasis will be given on issues regarding climate change and the impacts on the economy as well as on innovative strategies for dealing with risks and opportunities arising from climate change. Visitation will be monitored. Information regarding recycling and resource use within the Bank will be incorporated in the relative e-learning modules and on the intranet. Collaboration with the Ecological Recycling Society will be crucial in keeping abreast with progress in waste management trends in Greece and the broader region.

7 Dissemination of project s results by participating in workshops and conferences. Information outlet. Production of two leaflets. The three year calendar. Technical publications: Environmental Report Corporate The guide of green practices for enterprises Participation in conferences, workshops and other national and international meetings will be on the agenda for at least the next 3 years to present Piraeus Bank environmental management progress and to exchange expertise. Following international trends in reducing operational and core business ecological footprints will be of high priority within the Bank for the next 5 years at least. Within this scope falls the Bank s intention to be certified under EMAS, by the end of The main environmental management achievements will be presented, at least for the next 3 years, in exhibitions and trade fairs. The results of the environmental management programmes will be communicated to selected target groups such as customers and NGOs active in nature conservation and natural resource management in Greece. The GREEN BANKING Branch in Athens will remain a focal point for entrepreneurs and private individuals interested in green business or services, as the Bank has made a longstanding commitment in this field. Plans for a new GREEN BANKING Branch in Thessaloniki are in the pipeline. The results of the environmental management programmes will be included in relative information material that Piraeus Bank will be issuing. New leaflets, on promoting green banking products will be produced within Additionally, the three year calendar ( ) will be distributed to selected target groups throughout The current Environmental Corporate Report will continue to be distributed to executive managers within the Bank, subsidiaries and other major stakeholders. Piraeus Bank will be issuing a biannual Environmental Corporate Report that will be distributed to stakeholders and to the DG ENVIRONMENT of the European Commission. The guide of green practices for enterprises will continue to be distributed to interested enterprises. The Bank has printed, at its own expense, 75,000 copies, some of which are still available for distribution. Press and media A new advertisement (also bearing with the Life logo) will be produced within the context of the new CSR campaign designed by Piraeus Bank. It will include the major results of GREENbanking4Life and will be used at least throughout 2010 for promotion in the press. Continuation of presentations of the projects results and new achievements in a variety of worldwide websites.