First Direct, a division of HSBC Bank plc, says it is the first bank to receive the Carbon Trust Standard certification, after reducing its carbon emissions by more than 14%. This equals an annual reduction of 1,500 tons of CO2 emissions from 2007 levels, according to the UK-based company.
The Carbon Trust Standard is the world's first carbon award that requires an organization to measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint year-on-year.
To achieve the carbon award, first direct has introduced a range of low- and no-cost measures to significantly reduce carbon emissions since 2006. Getting employees on board with saving energy has been central to the company's strategy, according to first direct.
A few of the bank's carbon reduction initiatives include a green travel plan, which encourages employees to travel to work in a more environmentally friendly way, and a solar panel installation, which also translates into an energy cost savings. First direct also worked with local schools to encourage employees to recycle.
U.S. banks have taken measures to reduce their energy use as well. Alpine Bank of Colorado recently announced the introduction of a new automated disk drive platform which reduces the power and cooling used by current disk drive systems, according to this story.
