CaixaBank’s environmental commitment

The Spanish philosopher and poet George Santayana once said, “The Earth has music for those who listen”. He was not wrong. Each and every day nature speaks to us, playing a multitude of symphonies and harmonies.

This year the voice for the environment within the United Nations, The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has called on the global community to get out into the fresh air, to roam deep into natural spaces and to listen to nature, contemplating and appreciating its beauty and importance. All under the “Connecting people with nature”, theme chosen by the UN to celebrate what we are marking today, World Environment Day.

“I’m with nature” is the slogan behind the campaign, which each year strives to boost awareness of environmental issues among the global community. The UN General Assembly established World Environment Day back in 1972, with thousands of events having been organised since to mark the occasion.

Nonetheless, we need to accept that protecting and caring for the environment must be a daily priority for each of us. Which is why CaixaBank is committed to reducing its environmental footprint and supporting sustainability and respect for the natural world. Indeed, it has been a staunch advocate of environmentally respectful initiatives and projects for more than 10 years. So, how do we at CaixaBank listen to the environment?

CaixaBank, connecting with nature

Said commitment saw CaixaBank join the financial institutions adhering to the Equator Principles, which aim to guarantee that all projects benefitting from financing and consultancy services are undertaken in a socially responsible manner. Over the last year the bank has kicked off a number of new initiatives, all working towards the same objective: to combat climate change.

CaixaBank is among the foremost businesses in terms of environmental management, as evidenced by its inclusion on The Climate A List” run by the CDP environmental organisation. In fact, one of CaixaBank’s strategic objectives is to support projects aimed at preventing and mitigating climate change.

One such programme is the reforestation project in Peru. This initiative forms part of a larger “Carbon Neutral Plan”, which aims to offset all emissions calculated in the bank’s carbon footprint as of 2018.

Last year the bank offset 20,239 tonnes of carbon dioxide via a project in the Madre de Dios region of Peru, which works to slow the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest by protecting 500,000 hectares of walnut plantations, and driving economic development to support agricultural workers in the region and improve their quality of life. CaixaBank aims to be the first bank in Spain, and one of the first in Europe, to undertake such action, establishing itself as a carbon-neutral operator by 2018.

Committed to renewable energies

Another CaixaBank initiative targets making exclusive use of renewably sourced energy. In June of last year CaixaBank announced that it was launching plan to use 100% renewable energy within three years.

The bank was thus included on the New York Climate Week RE100 list, which features the world’s foremost companies that have committed to using only renewable energy. “CaixaBank was already a frontrunner in using renewably-sourced electricity, and today’s decision sees it go one step further”, said Emily Farnworth, Campaign Director of RE100, after the bank announced the initiative. CaixaBank became the first Spanish organization to be included on the list.

These are just two CaixaBank projects aimed at combatting climate change. Further measures have also been implemented, including efforts to cut paper consumption and make exclusive use of recycled paper, as well as deploying smart PCs, selective waste collection, eco-efficient designs for new buildings, promoting the use of videocalls, and much more.

Sustainable Development Objectives

CaixaBank is also a supporter of the UN Sustainable Development Objectives (SDO) adopted by the United Nations in 2015 with the aim of eradicating poverty, protecting the planet and safeguarding prosperity. CaixaBank’s anti-climate change initiatives particularly work towards two of the global objectives: SDO 12, Responsible production and consumption and SDO 13, Climate action.

While there are millions of initiatives currently underway to help protect the natural environment, there is still much more work to be done… What about you? Have you stopped to listen to nature? Take the opportunity to connect with nature today!