Rietumu Bank has received World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Green Office certificate in cooperation with Pasaules Dabas Fonds (WWF associated partner in Latvia).
This label is issued to enterprises that conduct their office activities and organise their working space with responsibility and care for the environment.
Green Office status has come as a result of the bank’s effort on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles implementation.
In the last few years, Rietumu Bank has been strongly focused on this direction. Jelena Buraja, the Chairman of the Board, notes: “My colleagues and I personally share the principles of green philosophy and strive to put them into practice. I am convinced that today this is the most important prerequisite for the sustainable development of the society. By protecting nature, using its resources sparingly, shifting towards renewable energy, we ensure social and economic progress. This goes along with changes in our thinking, which centres on the new generation, and this is extremely important. Now we are all at the beginning of the journey, and much remains to be done. Therefore, we at Rietumu Bank intend to move forward and develop the green trend. I am sure that the number of people who think the same will also continue to grow”.
During the last year, the bank has implemented a number of essential innovations. In particular, it was decided to stop using plastic and other environmentally harmful materials – this applies to stationery, presentation materials, packaging, customer souvenirs etc. A modern waste sorting system has been introduced, and now the bank sends all waste suitable for recycling to the respective enterprises.
At the Rietumu Capital Centre, the bank’s office building, 228 solar power panels were installed This allows both for optimisation of administrative costs and contributes to the transition to using renewable, environmentally friendly energy sources.
Work continued on the arrangement of the green zone near the building, where last autumn a garden was planted. It will bloom in early spring and delight the residents of the capital throughout the warm season.
From the very beginning, Rietumu Capital Centre, built back in 2008, had already complied with all the latest environmental standards, in terms of both using environmentally friendly building materials, and also communications and modern air conditioning and heating systems. During its construction, chemical colour use was minimised, while the main structure was made of cast concrete. In the interior spaces, the principle of free air circulation is applied, and a smart climate control system operates, which allows adjusting individual temperature settings in different zones.
About the Green Office
Green Office programme is a practical environment management system directed to offices that seek to improve the environment, help to reduce the climate change effects and develop corporate social responsibility.
Green Office helps raising awareness and introducing practical solutions for sustainable everyday in fields such as electricity, transport and travel, procurement, food, waste management, water, biodiversity, etc. The Green Office supports the company’s employees, who are the key of the effectiveness of measures aimed at improving the environment.
Companies that have been granted the Green Office status are entitled to use the corresponding globally recognised WWF Green Office logo and can be proud of the office’s achievements in environmental management.
