Feature
Recycling momentum grows in Costa Rica
Recycling momentum grows in Costa Rica
Scotiabank de Costa Rica's recycling program, successfully launched in 2007, continued to grow in 2008, thanks to the dedication of its employees.
To make recycling more convenient, each employee in Scotia de Costa Rica's 42 branches and at its head office had received an individual workstation recycling bin. Employees responded by filling the bins with an impressive 51,227 kilograms of paper, newspaper, cardboard, plastic bottles.during 2008.
However, at one point during the year, the program's continuation seemed threatened by a lack of local suppliers to transport the recyclables. That's when a group of employees stepped forward and volunteered to collect and drop off the recycled materials during their routine trips between branches and head office. Proceeds from its sale were donated to the Asociación Obras del Espíritu Santo, a charity serving at risk youth.
As well, internal awareness campaigns to reduce printing, promote energy conservation and recycle ink and toner cartridges are making an impact throughout Scotiabank de Costa Rica. And office equipment that is no longer required is now recycled, repaired and donated to educational institutions.
Feature
Mexico's reforestation event grows five times larger
Mexico's reforestation event grows five times larger
As a follow-up to Grupo Scotiabank Mexico's first annual reforestation event in 2007, the Bank's second event reaped five times the results, increasing our environmental engagement and cooperation among local employees and community groups.
Held on June 14, 2008, more than 650 Scotiabank employees, family members and friends gathered at Remedios National Park in Naucalpan, Mexico to plant 5,000 trees in Mexico City's Ecological Park.
To ensure the effectiveness of their effort, event organizers chose to plant a hearty, resistant native tree species and applied silos or 'solid rain', a Mexican technology that allows tree roots to store water and stay hydrated during dry seasons.
Scotiabank also works with Naturalia, a non-governmental organization that promotes biodiversity, which will monitor the growing trees to help ensure their long-term survival.
Scotiabankers can take pride in the lasting impact of their teamwork: it is estimated that, by the year 2038, the 5,000 planted trees will produce daily oxygen for 50,000 people and filter 2,3500,000 litres of water each year.
Inspired by the Mexico City event, more than 370 Grupo Scotiabank employees and family members kicked off their own reforestation projects in the Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Aguascalientes.
Scotiabank participates in a number of domestic and international environmental initiatives to support co-operation on environmental issues. These range from forums to encourage discussion of and progress on important environmental issues to memberships in a variety of environmental organizations. We also support progams and events that allow our employees, customers or the public to get involved in environmental activities and solutions.
- Scotiabank is a long-standing member of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), and we participate in its North American Task Force (NATF), which commits signatories to incorporate environmentally sound practices into their internal operations, risk assessment and management practices, and to develop environmentally sound products and services.
In 2007, the NATF completed a study and training day on the development of "green" financial products for the financial sector in the North American context. In 2008, the NATF explored the latest trends in sustainability indices and disclosure initiatives currently in use in the North American financial. The report, "Sustainability Indices & Disclosure Initiatives - The Benefits of Participation and the Risks of Non Participation" is available at www.unepfi.org.
- We are a member of Environment Canada's network on linking environmental performance to financial value, made up of financial institutions, governments, academics and other groups. In 2007, the network commissioned a report on the relevance of Canadian financial institutions' activities to the sustainability of Canada's boreal region.
- Scotiabank is a signatory and contributor to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), an initiative on behalf of international institutional investors to collect information on climate change and its impact on the world's largest companies. To review Scotiabank's submission, please visit www.cdproject.net.
- In 2008, we met with a number of environmental non-government organizations to obtain their insights and to work towards making our business transparent with respect to environmental issues.
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