Everyday work causes direct environmental impacts through the consumption of electricity, for example. The aim has been to reduce direct environmental impacts by increasing personnel awareness of how to save energy and other resources such as paper in the office environment.
In recent years, more attention has been paid to accurate sorting and recycling of office waste.
The business also affects the environment indirectly, as the bank's decisions contribute to factors such as types of investments and their implementation. Attention is therefore paid to sustainable development in customer relationships as well. The credit process for enterprises includes an assessment of environmental risks related to the business operations.
Customers interested in savings can invest in mutual funds that contribute to sustainable development. Sampo Bank's Sustainability Equity fund invests its assets globally in the stocks of companies observing the principles of sustainable development.
The fund assets are managed by Generation Investment Management. The company's Chairman, Al Gore, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his work to counteract climate change. Gore visited Finland in 2006 by invitation from Sampo Fund Management and lectured on climate change.
After the integration stage, Sampo Bank will participate in Danske Bank Group's environmental management system. Danske Bank announced in December 2007 that it aims to become CO2 neutral. In other words, the objective is to reduce direct carbon dioxide emissions as much as possible and to compensate for the remaining emissions through involvement in various climate projects. The aim is to achieve CO2 neutrality by 2009. The objective is a part of Danske Bank Group's new climate strategy that will be implemented throughout the Group.
The bank has supported environmental projects at schools
The environment played a crucial role in Sampo Bank's donations to schools in 2007. Sampo Bank donated a copy of Al Gore's environmental documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" and associated viewing rights to all junior secondary schools.
This powerful documentary encouraged everyone to consider the impacts of climate change and understand the effects of everyday activities on the nearby environment. The film was screened at more than one thousand schools in Finland.
Through the "Save the World" school donation project, Sampo Bank supported primary and secondary schools with a total of EUR 200,000. More than 60 schools received a donation from the bank to realise their environmental projects. Furthermore, the bank provided EUR 20,000 of support to the Ilmari climate information project that intends to provide for school visits and obtain climate information material to support basic teaching.