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Nedbank once again helped to drive climate change awareness by supporting Earth Hour on the 26th March 2011 in solidarity with millions of people across the world. As a leader in green initiatives Nedbank will be supporting Earth Hour through various activities including switching off the lights at all campus sites and various regional offices and branches, running a competition for staff and clients, and co-hosting the Earth Hour 2011 celebrations in Soweto with WWF-South Africa.
This year’s celebration took the form of a concert that took place in Orlando West, Soweto on Saturday, March 26 from 20h30 with a few local artists that dazzled the crowd including the Bala brothers , Marcus & Viccus Visser and Soweto Gospel Choir.
“As a carbon neutral bank we are cognisant of our usage of natural resources and so continue to actively try and reduce electricity usage throughout the year and encourage our customers and suppliers to do the same. This initiative further dovetails into our other initiatives that we are currently doing in going green. We further strive to ensure that most lights at sites are switched off at night with only minimum lighting being utilised for essential requirements.” says Maseda Ratshikuni, Head of Cause Marketing at the Nedbank Group.
Nedbank also encouraged members of the public to participate in the initiative by running competitions that invite them to observe Earth Hour and pledge to fulfil various energy-saving activities. The competition was aimed at encouraging all stakeholders, both individuals and businesses, to turn off their lights during Earth Hour between 20h30 and 21h30 on Saturday 26th March 2010 and make an ongoing change beyond Earth Hour.
Earth Hour is currently the largest voluntary participation climate change initiative in the world with millions of people across the world taking part. The initiative started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Now every year, global landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, CN Tower in Toronto, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stand in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the day. Earth Hour 2010 was hugely successful r with a record 128 countries and territories joining the global display of climate action.
During 2010, the group cut its electricity consumption per fulltime employee by an impressive 13%. Intensive efforts are underway to further reduce this consumption.
“If we add all of our energy-saving actions together, not just for one hour but throughout the year, there will be a brighter future for everyone,” said Ratshikuni.
In continuing its efforts beyond Earth Hour Nedbank head office switches off its lights generally with minimum lighting used for security reasons only after hours 365 days a year!
Ends
Note to Editors:
Nedbank Group’s commitment to Sustainability
In 2009, Nedbank Group became the first financial services organisation on the African continent to achieve carbon neutrality. Not only did this achievement cement the group’s reputation as a bank committed to environmental issues, it also signaled the beginning of the next stage of Nedbank Group’s ongoing sustainability journey.
While its ‘green’ commitment is a core element of this journey, the group takes an integrated approach that combines the four pillars of environmental, social, economic and cultural sustainability to ensure that its sustainability efforts deliver the broadest possible benefits for its stakeholders, the environment, and the communities in which it operates. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated and enhanced by the many awards earned by the group as well as its inclusion and participation in an array of indices and environmental initiatives, including:
· Equator Principles – first African financial services signatory.
· Financial Times Sustainability Awards - Emerging Markets Sustainable Bank of the Year for Middle East and Africa in 2010
· The Dow Jones Sustainability Index – one of only 25 banks worldwide and three companies with JSE primary listings included.
· Global 1000 Sustainable Performance Leaders Index –third highest ranked South African company.
· UNEP FI – signatory to the official statement on Climate Change and participant in various sub-committees
Nedbank Group’s other sustainability awards, memberships, partnerships and indices include:
· The JSE SRI Index
· South African Carbon Disclosure Project Leadership Index
· Ernst & Young Excellence in Sustainability Reporting
· Carbon Disclosure Project
· WWF Conservation Partnership
· The Prince’s Rainforests Project
· The Climate Neutral Network
· United Nations Global Compact – Caring for Climate Programme
· National Business Initiative Climate Change Working Group
· National Energy Efficiency Accord
· Banking Association of South Africa: Sustainable Finance Committee UNISA Climate Change Advisory Committee
Issued on behalf of: Nedbank
Sizwekazi Jekwa
Senior Communications Manager
011294 1306
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