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View the latest news releases from Sustainable Banking and stay informed.
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The system that transforms plans into action
After two years of hard work, ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Facility Management is the first major bank in the Netherlands to obtain sustainability certification ISO 14001. Although this technical term may not mean much to most people, certification has an enormous impact on the bank’s more than three hundred offices, many suppliers and tens of thousands of employees. We asked Building and Technology manager Rob Vermeij about this incentive for organisations to meet their environmental targets.
How to renovate a green university
Van Hall Larenstein, University of Applied Sciences (VHL), prides itself on being as green as they come. And so, when its buildings were due for major renovation and refurbishment, it insisted that the work be done in as sustainable a way as possible. As Diane Keizer, member of the VHL Executive Board, puts it: “We were looking to use both raw materials and financial resources prudently.” ABN AMRO provided tailored funding for the project.
Richard (re)tweets: “Changing course at a quarter past midnight, now that takes real guts”
Head of Sustainable Banking Richard Kooloos ranks his favourite tweets and retweets once every three months. This quarter’s picks: the opportunities offered by Blockchain, companies helping refugees and our new ‘circular’ pavilion.
Benefiting from solar power without investing
Putting solar on big roofs is a superior way to generate renewable energy, and ABN AMRO investor helps entrepreneurs lock in the rewards in an easy way. Businesses are queuing up, as no capital spend is required.
Hugely popular knowledge session on the circular economy
ABN AMRO recently managed to get William McDonough, a visionary in the area of sustainability, to speak at a recent Sustainable Banking knowledge session for staff. He gave the jam-packed room inspiring insights on the benefits of the circular economy. ‘Sustainable choices do not contradict financial arguments in any way whatsoever.’
A social enterprise that makes “ordinary” public transport something very special
With its new incentive scheme, ABN AMRO is supporting three social start-ups a year to the tune of €10,000 each. The first one to be selected is the start-up behind GoOV, an app allowing people with disabilities to travel by themselves. “For our users, this freedom is a first.”