We believe that change starts with ourselves. Therefore, we devote much attention to educating our employees and their loved ones about climate change. Their knowledge and involvement translate into responsible everyday choices, initiating eco-improvements within the organisation and its environment and dynamic development of green products and services.
Promoting eco-attitudes
Promoting eco-attitudes among employees
The Bank of Green Changes educational campaign addressed to employees and their loved ones
This conviction led us to continue the Bank of Green Changes programme in 2021. Its key aspect is an educational campaign addressed to employees and their loved ones. The motto of the third edition was „Inspire yourself to act for our planet”.
During this year’s campaign, our employees met environmental activists online. Our guests were:
- Mateusz Waligóra, traveller and author of the book “Vistula Trail”,
- Karolina Gurgul from Planet Heroes startup and
- Zofia Zochniak, founder of the Giveaway Clothes startup.
Furthermore, a subpage on our intranet serves as a repository of ecological knowledge for our employees. It contains practical information, tips on waste segregation, eco-themed colouring pages for kids, and – in cooperation with the Cracow Green Film Festival – we have included a database of films about humanity’s impact on the environment, climate change and ways to counteract the phenomena. Inspirational meetings, workshops and webinars are also a part of the programme.
Electromobility initiatives
We encourage responsible business-trip planning to save resources and promote respect for the natural environment. The Bank provides access to teleconferences and videoconferences; we also limit training trips by offering e-learning.
During the pandemic, we focus on organising remote events. We regularly implement projects that raise awareness of our personal impact on the environment, including:
- Car Free Day – an excellent opportunity to promote eco-transport,
- the car-sharing service, the equivalent of a company car for many employees,
- Bike to Work campaign – we provide employees at the Bank’s headquarters with guarded bicycle parking spaces and showers. We have also provided bicycle stands at most of our branches,
- in Cracow, we joined the campaign „Cycling to work: home, bike, work… and repeat”, which encourages people to change their transport habits.
Promoting eco-attitudes among external stakeholders
As the Bank of Green Changes, we strive to make a positive impact on climate by combining our product offer with the promotion of eco-attitudes and initiatives for the natural environment.
External initiatives implemented by the Bank in 2021:
On Earth Day, we launched a climate campaign which shows that our actions have a significant impact on our planet and its inhabitants. It also stresses that the responsible choice of sustainable products and services brings us closer to implementing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The campaign was accompanied by a 45-second clip showing how small actions affect our environment.
On the same day, the organisers and guests of the 4th BNP Paribas Green Film Festival launched the Climate Clock – a project indicating the time remaining until the so-called “day zero”, when the Earth’s temperature will have increased 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial era. The clock was started on the largest LED display in Poland, the façade of Cracow’s Tauron Arena, on April 22, 2021, precisely at noon.
Additionally, at the request of the Bank and CSR Consulting, the Research Collective conducted a survey of consumer familiarity with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. The study assessed the consumers’ current level of knowledge regarding ecological topics.
Additionally, at the end of September, CSR Consulting organised the “Target tomorrow. Today! #dobrecele” conference, which the Bank supported. The event was attended by representatives of local governments who talked about their climate initiatives. Partner NGOs and partners of the 17 Goals Campaign (representing business) discussed their activities. The Bank was represented by Maria Krawczyńska, director of the CSR and Sustainable Development Office, who talked about running a consumer campaign.
The BNP Paribas Talks is a series of meetings with exceptional guests – writers, directors, travellers, eco-trendsetters. Stories about their life paths and experiences inspire, give an impulse for change and taking on new challenges. The guests of our eco talks included Marek Kamiński, traveller, polar explorer, philosopher; Urszula Sołtysik, co-founder of the organic farming movement in Poland (called EKOLAND since 1989); and Sylwester Lipski, agronomist, plant production advisor, researcher. Recordings are available on the Spotify platform.
Our eco-tips take a variety of forms, including:
- films that prepare farmers for the implementation of the European Green Deal strategy,
- the AgroEmissions calculator for estimating greenhouse gas emissions from crops and dairy production,
- workshops at the Copernicus Science Center, where experts talk to children about important aspects of caring for the environment.
The event promotes eco-friendly attitudes through screenings of the world’s best productions on environmental protection. In 2021, the Bank became the Festival’s leading partner for the first time. The event does not focus solely on films; there are also ecological workshops, educational meetings, lectures and other artistic activities promoting a lifestyle favourable to our planet. In 2021, in addition to the week-long festival in Cracow, screenings were organised in other Polish cities, including Warsaw, Tricity, Wrocław, Katowice and Częstochowa.
Additionally, during BNP Paribas Summer Cinema Sopot-Zakopane, held between July and August, the festival’s repertoire was divided by topic. Each day, screenings were devoted to a different aspect of the Sustainable Development Goals.
We have commenced cooperation with media outlets to promote responsible attitudes, provide eco-education, and present green solutions. We became a partner of the Green Economy section in „Puls Biznesu” weekly – a series of articles on, i.a., the “Fit for 55” policy and RES. Our experts’ comments on the energy transformation and reducing paper consumption appeared in the magazine, online and on social media. Throughout the year, we supported the green-news.pl portal as part of a strategic partnership.
Special offer for certified farms (ECO and sustainable agriculture certificates) in sales campaigns.
More about the activities supporting customers from the Food & Agro sector can be found in the Customer support activities chapter.