Accessible Reporting |  Site Map |  Feedback |  Download |  How to Join  
*
The Co-operative Bank*
*
Ecological Sustainabilty |  Indicators |  Partnership Report 2002 |  Our Performance |  Home
*
**
*
Introduction >>
 Ecological Mission Statement
 Environmental Management
 Energy
 Water
 Persistent Bio-Accumulative Chemicals
 Transport and Emissions to Air
 Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle
 Paper and Printing
 Land Occupied and Biodiversity Impact
 Finance: Tailored Ecological Products and Services

Delivering Value
 Social Responsibility
Financial Statements 2002

This site has been designed to enable visitors to change the size of the text that appears on pages by adjusting their browser settings. If the text on this page is too small: In Internet Explorer, click on 'Text size' in the 'View' menu and adjust accordingly or, in Netscape, click on 'Increase font'
*
Ecological Sustainability : Introduction
*
ecological sustainability
Living in the real world The Co-operative Bank is seeking to reconstitute the relationship between its business activities and Nature. This is not being pursued for altruistic reasons, but because there are physical limits to the resources of the Earth (both in terms of generating materials and absorbing wastes). Any business activity that exceeds Nature's nonnegotiable limits is by definition unsustainable in the medium to long term. The bank's Ecological Mission Statement (follow this link to the Ecological Mission Statement) sets out the minimum conditions for ecological sustainability and is heavily influenced by an approach referred to as The Natural Step.i

Normalisation Once again, in this year's Report, the bank presents details of its ecological impact in relation to customer account numbers. If a business controls its energy consumption, whilst at the same time increasing the number of customer accounts it operates, then real eco-productivity gains have been achieved. During 2002, accounts grew by 72,000 or 2.4%. Some businesses normalise their impacts on the basis of employee numbers. Therefore, to facilitate benchmarking, data is also presented on this basis. Headcount' is taken to be 4,299, and includes 130 staff from Xansa who are based at the bank's premises in London and Skelmersdale. During 2002, 242 staff from Unisys vacated the bank's premises in London.

Benchmarking The bank has once again measured its performance against Credit Suisse Group, as stated in their Sustainability Report 2001ii The Credit Suisse Group Environmental Report is one of the few in which data has been externally verified and the Group was recently commended for its environmental performance in a survey of major European banks conducted by Oekom Research.iii Credit Suisse Group data refers to their operations in Switzerland alone.

Developments In addition to the high level quantitative data provided in the Partnership Report, the bank is committed to providing further details of the products and services it utilises in the pursuit of ecological sustainability, and the rationale behind decision making. Early in 2003, the bank achieved its aim of developing an environmental purchasing manual and integrating its analysis into a 'greener branch' concept. Follow this link for details of the 'green branch' concept. iv. In 2001, the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) produced guidelines which set out how to produce a good quality environmental report.v The bank's 2002 Partnership Report is again consistent with the proposed 'reporting process', and covers both those indicators suggested as being 'relevant to all organisations' and those indicators considered to be 'additional extras'. The guidance cites the bank as one of seven examples of good practice. DEFRA has also published separate guidelines on how to measure and report on the three key impacts common to all companies: greenhouse gas emissions, waste and water use. vi Follow this link for a full list of the standards and guidelines considered, and the bank's involvement in each.

Assurance An assessment of the degree to which the bank succeeds in delivering value to its Partners in an ecologically sustainable manner is provided by Jonathon Porritt, Chairman of The Natural Step UK, follow this link for Jonathon Porritt's assessment. For further details, please contact Paul Monaghan, Head of Sustainable Development (pmonag@co-operativebank.co.uk). 		*
  1. www.naturalstep.org.uk
  2. www.credit-suisse.com/en/csgn/sustainability_report_2001.html
  3. www.oekom.de
  4. www.co-operativebank.co.uk/ethics/partnership2002/pr/green_branch.html
  5. www.defra.gov.uk/environment/envrp/index.htm
  6. www.co-operativebank.co.uk/ethics/partnership2002/pr/standards.html
To follow any of the links mentioned within the Partnership Report 2002, please visit the links page.
Continue to: Ecological Mission Statement Back To Top

The above data and commentary has been audited by ethics etc...
Data, commentary and performance assured in accordance with AA1000as.