China Banking Corporation (China Bank) announced a group-wide campaign to promote reducing, reusing, and recycling to help protect and preserve the environment.  Dubbed “Going Green,” the initiative engages the Bank’s employees and customers in its green efforts.

Over the past four years, China Bank has been implementing energy conservation and solid waste management programs to reduce its carbon footprint.  It continues to invest in low-carbon and energy efficiency technologies, steadily shifting to a more efficient and sustainable operations.  In addition, the Bank has signed an agreement with IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, for technical assistance and advisory services under IFC’s Sustainable Energy Finance (SEF) Program. This partnership enables the Bank to successfully fund renewable energy and other clean development projects in the country, as well as aid energy-intensive industries to go green.

To have a greater positive impact on the environment, the Bank is enjoining all its employees, numbering almost 5,000 group-wide, as well as its clients nationwide, to “do their bit” for mother earth through Going Green.

Going Green is a three pronged campaign that complements the Bank’s existing eco efforts and aims to encourage a change in people’s consumption patterns and energy use.  The first phase, launched recently, is a paper reduction program to help create a shift in the Bank towards using less paper, reusing paper where appropriate, and recycling.  With an official mandate to “save paper, save trees,” employees will be more conscious about printing only what’s needed.  The Bank recently issued an official printing policy that includes, among others, setting the printing default to draft form, black and white, double-sided printing to save on paper, ink, and toner; using scratch papers or the blank reverse side of documents which are no longer needed for internal correspondences; and sending information electronically.  In addition, training handouts are in printer-friendly versions and soft copy, and China Bank e-mails have the line “Consider the environment before printing this e-mail.” The Bank will continue using recycled paper for its annual report, and further reduce the number of printed annual reports and make CD versions instead.  Soon, China Bank clients can participate in the “greening” by enrolling in China Bank Online and opting to no longer receive paper statements. 

The second phase, which will be launched in time for the Bank’s 92nd anniversary is an energy conservation program to help reduce the Bank’s electric bills and minimize greenhouse gas. The Bank will have its own Earth Hour—the lights at all China Bank and subsidiary branches nationwide will be switched off simultaneously for one hour.  For its new computer and replacement computer procurements, the Bank will opt for those with “Energy Star” labels that use between 30% and 65% less energy. The Bank will also strictly enforce its policy on switching off lights, workstations, and electronic equipment at the end of each working day, and continue retrofitting the head office and branches with LED lights and replacing air con systems with new and more energy-efficient units.

To celebrate the Christmas season, China Bank’s gift to mother earth is a recycling program, the third phase of Going Green. The Bank will launch its “Trash to Cash” recyclable trash drive.  Selected China Bank branches will be designated as recyclable trading posts at designated dates wherein employees, clients, and individuals nearby can bring their recyclable trash (PET and glass bottles, soda cans, paper, cartons, newspapers, etc.) and exchange them for cash.  The Bank will partner with reputable traders of recyclable materials.  The Bank will also have bins at selected branches for electronic waste such as depleted batteries, old cell phones, chargers, etc. China Bank’s aim is to educate and encourage its employees and clients on disposing of their e-wastes in a safe and earth-friendly way so that they do not end up in a landfill and contaminate our water.  The Bank will turnover the collected e-waste to an organization that specializes in recycling and properly disposing of hazardous wastes and metals.

China Bank believes that employers and employees must work together to aid governments and environmental groups in advancing eco-friendly initiatives to curb climate change and save the planet. China Bank has been doing its share to lessen its impact on the environment, and is now involving its people in its advocacy for ecologically-responsible operations.