Corporate environmental protection
Against the backdrop of global developments, such as climate change, water and resource scarcity, deforestation and threats to biodiversity, commercial enterprises in particular have a duty to contribute to protecting the ecological environment.
NORD/LB is constantly working on reducing the environmental impact of the Group as well as the ecological footprint as part of its corporate environmental protection. In order to improve environmental performance in internal banking operations, an environmental management system was set up which is based on the international standard ISO 14001 and was expanded in the reporting year with the certification of an energy management system (DIN 50001:2018).
One of the NORD/LB Group's main concerns is the reduction of the company's own CO2 emissions. Aspects of energy consumption, such as heating and power supply, are also considered. NORD/LB is working on reducing paper consumption in with respect to the use of raw materials and auxiliary materials. Other topics relevant to corporate environmental protection concern waste separation and recycling as well as mobility aspects.
Improvement of NORD/LB's eco-efficiency
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total CO2 emissions | 5.95 t | 7.82 t | 9.45 t |
| CO2 emissions per employee | 1,237 kg | 1,482 kg | 1.806 kg |
| Paper consumption per employee | 19.1 kg | 30 kg | 45 kg |
Detailed information and figures on corporate environmental protection and NORD/LB's social commitment can also be found in our Sustainability Report.
Possible effects on the SDGs:
Social commitment
For NORD/LB Group institutions, the regional environment is not only the site, but also the place of residence and habitat of its employees and many customers. NORD/LB also obtains a significant part of the services it commissions from the region of its sites.
For this reason, NORD/LB not only promotes the economy and infrastructure, but also focuses on promoting educational opportunities as well as social, scientific and cultural developments.
Culture
NORD/LB can look back on decades of tradition in promoting art and culture. This commitment was taken on by the NORD/LB Cultural Foundation founded in November 2012.
Science
As a regional state bank as well as a clearing house (Girozentrale) and central bank for savings banks, NORD/LB assumes social responsibility and is committed to supporting scientific projects in its business field with financial and conceptional support.
As part of this, NORD/LB finances, among other things, foundation professorships and supports the Hanover Center of Finance as well as the Brunswick Technical University's not-for-profit association, Braunschweigischer Hochschulbund e. V, through the Brunswick state savings bank.
Social
NORD/LB also attaches great importance to supporting social projects that contribute to social cohesion. For this reason, the bank supports, in particular, institutions and organisations involved in the education and training of disadvantaged children and young people.
These include, for instance, a children’s cancer association in Hanover (Verein für krebskranke Kinder Hannover), Teen Spirit Island at the Children's Hospital Auf der Bult, THE!!! Christmas party for the homeless in Hanover, Nummer gegen Kummer (a helpline for children, youth and parents), Teddyklinik Magdeburg – whose aim it is to teach children not to fear the doctor – the Deutsche Kinderschutzbund (a child protection association) in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and initiatives in the area of homelessness aid.
Politics
The NORD/LB Group guidelines exclude donations to political parties and party-related organisations. NORD/LB is, however, committed to designing a binding and transparent regulatory framework for the financial services industry. To this end, their representatives collaborate in various associations. These include the German Global Compact network, the UNEP FI financial initiative, an association for environmental management and sustainability in financial institutions (Verein für Umweltmanagement und Nachhaltigkeit in Finanzinstituten), the German Savings Banks Association and the Association of German Public Banks.
Contact
