At a time when climate change is becoming a dominant threat for the planet and its people, we understand that environmental protection is a one-way street towards securing social prosperity for this generation and the generations to come. To this end, we have decided to take on an active role, with actions that benefit the environment.
In terms of the environment and sustainability, Eurobank pledges to reduce its carbon footprint and promote green economy. We put this commitment into practice through our day-to-day operations, our banking practices and our corporate culture. We apply international certification standards and best practices consistently, and enjoy recognition in Greece and abroad.
Our environmental performance at a glance
Leaders in international certifications
ISO 14001 – International standard for environmental management systems
Eurobank is the first bank in Greece with a certified environmental management system (since 2004) and one of a few in Europe.
The certified environmental management system we implement reduces our environmental impact and improves our environmental performance. Every year it is reviewed by an independent certification body, TÜV Hellas.
Find out more about ISO 14001.
ISO 50001 – International standard for energy management systems
Eurobank is the first bank in Greece with a certified energy management system (since 2015). We received the Gold Award at the Environmental Awards 2015 for our certified energy management system.
Find out more about ISO 50001.
Policies for the environment and sustainability
Through certified management systems and dedicated policies, we monitor our performance, minimise our carbon footprint and promote green economy:
Our Environmental Report sets out our objectives, the systems and actions we implement for the environment and our sustainability, and our environmental performance.
Previous Environmental Reports:
2018 I 2017 I 2016 I 2015 I 2014 I 2013 I 2012 I 2011 I 2010
Environmental commitments
We set specific targets, undertake initiatives, and design and develop programmes to protect the environment and improve the use of natural resources:
- Energy and Climate Change Programme
- Recycling and Waste Management Programme
- Water Management Programme
- Environmental awareness
International partnerships for the environment
We are affiliated with international, European and Greek organisations dedicated to the environment and sustainability:
- Priceless Planet Coalition for the restoration of 100 million trees over 5 years.
- Participation in the share capital of MESOGEOS SA, one of the leaders in environmental protection.
- Participation in the IBG HF III (CMF) private equity fund, which specialises in renewable energy sources, medium-sized photovoltaic installations and wind farms in Greece.
- UN Global Compact
- United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative – UNEP FI
- Energy Efficiency Financial Institution Group – EEFIG
- Sustainable Development Committee of the Hellenic Bank Association
- CSRHellas
- Sustainable Greece 2020 initiative
- Global Sustain
EMAS – Eco-Management and Audit Scheme
Eurobank is the first Greek Bank to be included in the EMAS register for following Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 on environmental management (since 2009).
Sustainable services and initiatives
We have developed a series of green initiatives that offer environmental benefits, introducing solutions that can be obtained online, to reduce paperwork and contribute to a more sustainable environment.
- Biodegradable cards
- e-Statements
- Carbon footprint elimination solutions
- WWF Visa
WWF Visa card was the first green product ever issued by a Greek bank. So far, WWF Hellas has received more than €1.6 million through the WWF Visa cards issued by Eurobank for the financing of environmental protection actions.
Green buildings and hybrid vehicles
We actively invest in the energy efficiency upgrade of our existing real-estate portfolio, to improve our environmental footprint. Our strategy is to position our investment and own-use property portfolio towards high-end, environmentally friendly buildings, which are in high demand by multinationals and Greek corporations.
To this end, we have launched several projects to convert prime assets into energy efficient green buildings, as these help demonstrate our sustainability performance during our operations. Through these green buildings we:
- Lower running costs.
- Maximise returns through market value.
- Attract and retain tenants looking for desirable places to live and work in.
- Provide our people with healthier workplaces.
- Create a low emission portfolio, friendly to the environment, and improve the local micro-climate.
Aiming to keep greening our real-estate portfolio, we choose green building certifications because they help us validate the sustainability value of our assets.
Every year, we aim to rate selected assets within our portfolio with the purpose of gradually being certified according to the standards set by international organisations.
In the area of hybrid vehicles, to further minimise our carbon footprint, we have gradually started to:
- Replace our corporate fleet with plug-in hybrid technology vehicles.
- Install charging stations at various company buildings and branches in Athens.
Environmental awareness
We raise awareness among our employees on the environment and energy saving. We design and launch awareness campaigns, educational programmes and group awareness initiatives as part of the Eurobank Corporate Social Responsibility actions.
