Bank of Greece certified with Environmental Management Standard

The Environmental Management System of the Bank of Greece was officially certified according to the principles of the international standard ISO 14001:2015, after being inspected by a recognized Certification Body, which is accredited by the National Accreditation System (ESYD) and a member of the IQNet International Network of Certification Bodies.

As stated in the relevant announcement, the certificate was received by Deputy Governor Mr. Theodoros Pelagidis, who is responsible for environmental policy issues and President of the Bank’s Environmental Policy Committee.

What is included

The scope of certification covers all the services offered by the Bank of Greece in its buildings in Attica and in regional offices and which include banking and computing work, as well as cash processing and handling activities. It is recalled that the Banknote and Securities Printing Foundation (IETA) has already received ISO 14001:2015 certification in 2010 regarding security printing and the production of coins and medals.

The announcement emphasizes that the certification according to ISO 14001 proves the effectiveness of the Environmental Management System applied by the Bank in the direction of reducing its environmental footprint through the undertaking of coordinated actions and the adoption of best practices.

Main pillar

Environmental protection is a key pillar of the Bank of Greece’s social responsibility and an important parameter of its strategic planning. The Management’s practical support is expressed through its Environmental Policy, the provision of all necessary resources for environmental actions and the promotion of ecologically responsible behavior in the workplace.

With the implementation of the Environmental Management System, according to the principles of the international standard ISO 14001, the Bank demonstrates its continuous commitment to continuous improvement of its environmental performance with the following main objectives:

• Compliance with national and European environmental legislation and with international environmental requirements
• Systematic and effective management of resources
• Rational use of raw materials
• increasing the recycling rate
• limiting energy consumption
• protection and conservation of water resources
• Reduction and environmentally sound waste management
• Staff participation in environmental improvement actions
• Recognition of environmental risks and taking actions to limit and eliminate them

Climate change

It should be noted that the Bank of Greece is one of the first central banks in the world to deal systematically with the issue of climate change, having established the Climate Change Impact Study Committee (EMECA) in 2009 and the Center for Climate Change and Sustainability in 2021.

Finally, it is noted that the Bank of Greece intends to continue to monitor, evaluate and systematically improve its environmental performance through and through its participation in the Community Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).