e3bank is launching strategies to support greening via core lending. They've integrated substantial expertise in green building standards.
http://www.e3bank.com/
Michael T. Hernke, Ph.D.
Research Fellow
UW-Madison School of Business
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Shrivastava <
paul.shri@GMAIL.COM>
Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 8:36 am
Subject: Case study of the day: bank in Dubai supports ecosystem
To:
ONE-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
> Charlie
> Thanks for sharing this "case study" of NBAD. Some friends here in
> Montreal are putting together a "Sustainable Finance" initiative and I
> am sharing with with them.
>
> But let me say that this news item reads more like a press release by
> the bank than a balanced case study. What does it mean for a bank to
> support the ecosystem. For me, the key issue is how eco and socially
> sensitive they are in their core business of loans/investments they
> make. Later in this piece they mention that "Sustainability at the
> Bank encompasses the wellbeing of its employees to Corporate
> Governance, energy efficiency and environmental impacts of the Bank's
> buildings to customer engagement. New areas will consider mitigating
> climate-risk in large financing deals, primarily project finance
> investments." That last sentence (a central issue for supporting the
> ecosystem) seems a future aspiration, and is lost in 1000 words on
> plastic versus jute bags. I am most interested in seeing bank
> examples that are truly ecocentric.
>
> Paul
>
>
> >
> >----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 06:14:08 -0500
> >From: Charles Wankel <
wankelc@VERIZON.NET>
> >Subject: Case study of the day: bank in Dubai supports ecosystem
> >
> >------=_NextPart_000_012B_01CAA94F.17282D60
> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
> >
> >Case study of the day: bank in Dubai supports ecosystem
> >
> >http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/UAE/260762
> >
> >
> >
> >EXCERPT:
> >
> >
> >
> >NBAD Launches Environmental Programmes
> >
> >The National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), the Number One Bank in the UAE,
> >launched a series of campaigns to encourage and promote methods and
> >practices that protect the ecosystem.
> >
> >In line with its corporate sustainability and responsibility
> objectives and
> >to raise the public's environmental awareness NBAD distributes to its
> >customers jute bags to use in place of plastic bags. The jute bags were
> >distributed on the National Environment Day on February 4 in several
> of its
> >branches.
> >
> >In the UAE plastic bags pose a hazard to the environment because plastic
> >biodegrade in 400 and 1000 years. Furthermore, nearly half of
> fatalities in
> >camels are caused by ingesting plastic because the material calcifies
> in
> >their stomach into rocks weighing up to 60kg.
> >
> >
> >
> >The NBAD jute bags, which will bear the slogan "Go Green with
> National Bank
> >of Abu Dhabi" in English and Arabic, are reusable and are made from natural
> >fibers that are composed primarily of plant materials.
> >
> >
> >
> >NBAD also believes that it can lead the way in creating awareness
> with the
> >public about the environmental issues and the ways each individual
> can be a
> >soldier in protecting the ecological system.
> >
> >
> >
> >..
> >
> >
> >
> >In accordance with instructions from the Central Bank of UAE, NBAD has
> >posted on its ATMs the logo "UAE Free of Plastic Bags."
> >
> >
> >
> >NBAD adopted environmental sustainability as a core corporate value several
> >years ago. It has concluded that encouraging, promoting and adopting
> >environmentally-responsible policies will serve the Bank's sustainability
> >objectives and also impact the business bottom line and profitability.
> >
> >
> >
> >"At NBAD, we believe that sustainability is the way of future. The societies
> >in which we carry out our business increasingly expect us to engage in
> >activities that reduce adverse impact on the environment. We are
> focused to
> >fully understand the direct and indirect impact of NBAD business with
> a view
> >to minimise negative impacts and maximise positive results on the
> >environment," said Michael Tomalin, NBAD's Group Chief Executive. "We
> are
> >engaged in processes to achieve both immediate and long-term results
> by
> >studying, encouraging and implementing methods that make efficient
> use of
> >resources, which in turn reduce operational costs."
> >
> >
> >
> >NBAD is a founding member of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group and joined
> >forces with 15 of Abu Dhabi's leading government, private and non-profit
> >organisations and signed the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group
> supporting the
> >uptake of sustainability management in support of the Abu Dhabi Government's
> >vision of sustainability.
> >
> >
> >
> >As a major employer and leading institution within Abu Dhabi, NBAD believes
> >that it can help create awareness with the public about environmental
> issues
> >and the ways each individual can be an advocate in protecting the ecological
> >system. The bank has already begun educating its staff to adopt
> >environmentally-sound practices, such as reducing paper-use and shutting
> >down electronic devices when not in use.
> >
> >
> >
> >The Bank decided in 2009 to drive value by integrating sustainability
> >management into the core of its business and to position the company
> as the
> >corporate paradigm of sustainability awareness.
> >
> >
> >
> >Sustainability at the Bank encompasses the wellbeing of its employees
> to
> >Corporate Governance, energy efficiency and environmental impacts of
> the
> >Bank's buildings to customer engagement. New areas will consider mitigating
> >climate-risk in large financing deals, primarily project finance
> >investments.
> >
> >
> >
> >To help the Bank achieve this goal, the senior management of the Bank
> has
> >charged the Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility team led by Ms.
> >Belinda Scott, the CSR Officer at NBAD, to study environmental risks
> and
> >opportunities as part of the Bank's sustainability strategy.
> >
> >
> >
> >Ms. Scott said NBAD's drive to promote and adopt sustainability management
> >aligns the Bank with the objectives of the Government, where sustainability
> >is seen as the key to competitive advantage and success. It also
> helps the
> >Bank do its part to contribute to national and global welfare.
> >
> >"Implementing sustainability management is not only the key to the future,
> >it is also the key to profitability," Ms. Scott said. "Sustainability
> will
> >be an essential foundation of NBAD.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Best regards,
> >
> >Charles Wankel
> >
> >St. John's University, New York
> >
> >http://facpub.stjohns.edu/~wankelc
> >
> >Add me on LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/wankelc
> >
>