Impact
Minimising impact from business operations
As with most companies in the financial services industry, ABN AMRO's main impact on the environment is indirect, through our lending and investments. However, we recognise significant opportunities exist to reduce our direct impact on the environment, through the activities of our more than 99,000 employees, the thousands of buildings we work in and the kilometres they travel worldwide. We also have an impact on our suppliers' social and environmental behaviour.
Our Commitment
We are committed to reducing our environmental impact through optimising our internal resource use and working with our suppliers, in order to support the bank's overall sustainability strategy and create long-term value for our stakeholders. We are also committed to measuring our progress and reporting regularly to our key stakeholders.
Carbon Neutrality & Energy Reduction
ABN AMRO is to become 'carbon neutral' by the end of 2008. This move represents an important step forward in the bank's efforts to play its part in alleviating climate change. It also builds on work already underway to minimise our impact on the environment, namely our existing energy reduction target of 10% by the end of 2008 (compared to 2004 levels) based on relative metrics (kWh/m2, kWh/FTE).
We plan to become carbon neutral by:
- first, continuing to manage and reduce our own 'carbon emissions' e.g. by using less energy;
- secondly, reducing the carbon intensity of the energy we use by purchasing 'green energy';
- and lastly, offsetting our remaining carbon emissions.
Areas of impact and influence
We have the greatest impact and influence to reduce our direct environmental footprint in the following areas (click on the headlines to read more):
Global property portfolio management
IT equipment
Business travel
Wood and paper
Sustainable procurement
Waste and water operations
Global property portfolio management
Optimising our global property portfolio of some 4,700 facilities through energy and waste reduction initiatives and optimisation of space is a key focus in our ongoing drive to improve our sustainability performance. Key to this is monitoring and understanding our energy performance, using automated control technology and implementing additional energy reduction initiatives around the world, addressing areas like lighting and heating/cooling. All Dutch office locations use 100% green energy; and our global Head Office in Amsterdam launched an innovative lake water cooling scheme. We also have environmentally certified offices in Brazil and India as well as our first "green" branch in Brazil.
IT equipment
Our IT equipment also contributes to our direct impact. Globally, we purchase end user equipment (PCs and laptops) that meet environmental standards, replacing old hardware with more energy efficient hardware, and are decreasing the amount of equipment we have to further reduce our energy consumption. We are also looking into a global, socially and environmentally responsible disposal process for our equipment. In addition, we have joined forces with one of our major hardware suppliers, committing to donate EUR 3.50 for each piece of equipment purchased to plant trees in sustainably managed reforestation projects.
Business travel
Our ambition is to reduce travel by 10% by the end of 2008 (compared to 2006 levels), through extending and promoting the use of collaboration technology - namely tele- and video-conferencing. Our efforts to reduce and/or rationalise commuting and other forms of travel include encouraging our employees to use public transport and - in the Netherlands - to cycle to work. In Brazil, we revised the leasing fuel control terms for the company car fleet, helping to shift fuel demand from gasoline to alcohol and generate environmental benefits.
Wood and paper
We aim to reduce the use of paper by 5% by the end of 2008 (compared to 2006 levels) and increase our procurement of FSC-certified and/or recycled paper. Additional initiatives include switching to double-sided printing for both printers and photocopiers. All wood used in building and renovation projects within our Business Unit Netherlands office premises is of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified origin. Meanwhile, in Brazil, 78% of the paper we use internally is from recycled sources.
Sustainable procurement
In 2006, the Group spent about EUR 7 bln a year on external goods and services. ABN AMRO applies its Sustainable Procurement Policy to the management of this global external procurement spending, which is spent in line with the bank's sustainability strategy. This includes the application of a transparent and fact-based sourcing process, the inclusion of sustainable development selection criteria in the standard sourcing process; and asking major suppliers to sign our procurement code of conduct. In 2006, the Global Procurement Sustainable Development team developed a strategy that provides a structure, phased actions and the basis for regional procurement objectives on sustainability in the years up to 2009. It also incorporates an implementation model that monitors progress against objectives. The team works closely with each of our regional procurement units to ensure that social and environmental sustainable development criteria are included in the supplier selection process.
Waste and water operations
We aim to maintain our good performance in the areas of waste and water through adopting global guidelines for office waste management (reduction, re-use and recycling), water management, and new buildings. We also aim to increase the percentage of waste recycled and decrease water use in water-stressed areas. We already have a number of awareness campaigns on waste management for our staff across the globe.