Sustainability
Soneri’s Green Banking
Green Banking is a term that refers to the promotion of environmentally and socially friendly practices that aid Banks and their clients in identifying and managing environmental and social risks as well as reducing their carbon footprint and related socially adverse actions.
Green banking optimizes costs, reduces risk, enhances banks’ reputations and contributes to the common good of environmental sustainability. Therefore, it serves both the commercial objective of the bank as well as its social responsibility.
- Environmental and Social Risk Management
- Green Business Facilitation
- Own Impact Reduction
Initiatives of Green Banking Office
The Green Banking Office (GBO) was established on the directive of the State Bank of Pakistan, and it is working towards the Bank’s transformation for Green Change. The GBO has developed and implemented Green Banking Policy and taken several initiatives for the implementation of the SBP’s Green Banking Guidelines of 2017 and Environmental, and Social Risk Management (ESRM) Manual of 2022 in Soneri Bank Limited.
Environmental and Social Risk awareness to the Bank Staff and Customers
The Green Banking Office through its green marketing strategy circulates messages on International Environmental and Social awareness days to all the stakeholders using digital marketing channels and emails to promote environmental and social impacts on the society.
Yellow is the New Green
The Green Banking Office has developed and rolled out ‘Yellow is the New Green’ initiative as theme of the year for 2024 to promote Green Banking awareness to staff and customers.
Green Banking Awareness Session to The Management Committee (MANCOM)
Green Banking awareness session presented to MANCOM to create awareness amongst the top leadership of the Bank along with suggestions for effective implementation of Green Banking initiatives.
Own Impact Reduction and Business Facilitation
Under own impact reduction and business facilitation initiatives, Bank has worked on various process management automations to cut down time, conserve paper and to improve efficiency. Bank has worked on digitization of various business processes like digital account opening, customer onboarding, payments and cash management as part of business innovation strategy that promotes Green Change.
Environmental and Social – Green Banking Trainings for Staff
Green Banking Office developed a virtual training module on green banking awareness including ESRM through bank’s Learning Management System (LMS) as a mandatory training for all new and existing Bank’s staff.
Environmental and Social Risk Rating (ESRR) System
For assessment of the environmental and social risks associated with the client’s business/ industry, an automated Environmental and Social Risk Rating (ESRR) module including Exclusion/ Avoidance checklist has been introduced as part of credit underwriting process with a view to safeguard against environmental and social risks emerging from Bank’s financing & investment activities.
Green Banking & CSR – Beach Cleaning Activity
Green Banking Office together with marketing team conducted a beach cleaning activity to remove plastic and other debris from Karachi’s Sea View beach with Bank’s staff from various departments. This activity promoted awareness of reducing plastic waste that ends up in the sea affecting biodiversity and the environment.
Rung Do Pakistan
Soneri Bank collaborated with World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF Pakistan) in Tree plantation drive called “Rung Do Pakistan”. This initiative aligns with Soneri Banks’s dedication to making a positive impact on the environment and reflects bank’s ongoing efforts to contribute to a greener and more sustainable Pakistan.