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.
The Bank will raise awareness about the National Environment Day and sustainability by posting messages about the day on its website, www.nbad.com, which is visited by tens of thousands of its customers and visitors every day.
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.
