Each and every day, nations the world over are recognising and beginning to address a whole variety of environmental concerns. In 1992, in recognition of the fact that some of these issues threaten to wreak damage on a global scale, leaders from all over the world gathered to discuss the problems and try to look for solutions. In effect, this has become the first generation of people tasked with dealing with the problems of the past, present and future.

It is not surprising then that the business community, probably the largest user of resources and biggest producer of waste on the planet, is finding itself faced with a whole new series of issues with which it has to contend. Some businesses are sticking their heads in the sand and hoping that these problems will go away, others go on the offensive and counter claims of environmental destruction as the pseudo-science of a few cranks. However, there are a significant and growing number of businesses who are approaching these matters in good faith and trying to put their house in order.

The Bank is widely considered to be at the forefront of these businesses. Our Ecological Mission Statement is based on an up to date understanding of the way nature operates, and we show in the section on "Suppliers" that the manner in which the Bank manages its operations compares favourably with others.

Moreover, the actions we take today are designed to be long-term solutions: the decision to remove halon from all fire control systems and replace it with 'Inergen'; the move away from PVC credit cards and thedevelopment of a biodegradable plastic; our move towards purchasing paper which is totally chlorine-free; the commitment to source air-conditioning systems which neither break down the ozone layer nor significantly contribute to global warming. All of these developments are designed to minimise the Bank's use of chemicals which we know to be long-lived in the environment and that have a tendency to accumulate in nature. In some cases we know the consequence of this accumulation (ozone depletion, global warming, some cancers), in others we do not, but why take the risk with the health of our children or our children's children?

[ Future objective ]
To continue in our programme to reduce reliance on persistent, bio-accumulative chemicals, and to draw these issues to the attention of the rest of society, including the Co-operative Movement.