Sustainable in our operations

We take on the environmental challenge with respect to our operational management.

Greening our operations
Research shows that 99% of our direct environmental footprint is caused by energy, business travel and paper usage. Our Environmental Statement (PDF), issued in 2005, aims to reduce that impact. Sames goes for the recently signed Manifesto. In order to engage our employees in our environmental management, ING supports Earth Hour.

100% Carbon Neutral
We believe it is important to take a stance on climate change as it is one of the defining challenges of our time. It affects food security, public health, economic growth and poverty reduction targets in the poorest areas of the world. We believe it is our responsibility to contribute to a decarbonisation of the economy.

We do this first and foremost by reducing our own impact. ING has been carbon neutral since 2007. This is how we accomplish that:

33% of our business units implemented additional energy efficiency measures in 2010 as part of our ongoing commitment to increase energy efficiency.
62% of the electricity purchased worldwide comes from wind, solar and water power.
100% of the electricity purchased in the Netherlands, the US and Belgium is green.
60% of our employees are actively encouraged to use public transport for commuting.
Video conferencing is promoted to reduce business travel by air.
Energy efficient cars are available to 50% of our employees entitled to a company car.

Although the bulk of electricity purchased globally is green, renewable energy is not always a feasible option. Examples are natural gas needed to heat our office buildings or aviation for business travel. We compensate for the remaining emissions. In 2010, ING bought its Voluntary Carbon Units (VCUs) from two projects: a wind farm in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, and a small run-of-river hydro power project in Yunnan Province in China. Both are registered with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The VCUs from both projects are externally verified as complying with the Voluntary Carbon Standard. This standard has been set by the Climate Group, the International Emissions Trading Association, the World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Paper consumption

Paper usage forms a significant part of our environmental footprint. In order to minimise our environmental impact, we developed paper consumption reduction measures, sustainable paper procurement guidelines and recycling initiatives. All bundled in the ING Sustainable Paper Policy.

77% of the paper ING purchase for office use carries an FSC, PEFC, or other sustainable sourcing certificate.
838 tonnes of paper were recycled in the US alone. In the US, all primary offices have recycling centres in place which fits perfectly with ING’s aims to maximise the recycling of paper products throughout the organisation. By recycling paper, we contribute to the conservation of forests. Recycling paper reduces the need for virgin wood supply, and therefore helps to prevent deforestation.

For ING, paperless initiatives where customers are encouraged to choose to “not receive” paper statements help to make significant cuts in its environmental footprint. In the Netherlands alone, an estimated 450,000 kilos of paper per year will be saved, as 83% of ING customers will view their monthly statements online rather than receiving them via the post on paper. With 12 million fewer paper statements to be posted there will be an additional reduction of 620 tons in CO² emissions per year.

In order to engage our employees in our environmental management, ING supports Earth Hour.