Websitecarbon.com has been working for many years to develop and refine the methodology with which they calculate emissions from websites. With their effort, they hope to help raise awareness and encourage the adoption of a greener approach throughout the industry. Below we will see an analysis of the individual pages of BBVA, Caixabank, Banco Sabadell, Kutxabank, Unicaja and ING Direct.
The carbon footprint of the web pages of relevant entities in Spain and in the world
Key ——————————————————————————-
Grams of CO2 that are emitted with each visit to the web.
Number of trees needed to absorb the CO2 emitted by the web each year*.
*For about 10,000 visits.
Km that an electric car could drive with the energy used by the web every year*
Ranking of bank websites emissions
ING Direct
0.21 | |
2 | |
364 |
CaixaBank
0.29 | |
2 | |
578 |
Banco Sabadell
0.35 | |
2 | |
609 |
Kutxabank
0.35 | |
2 | |
610 |
BBVA
0.47 | |
3 | |
942 |
Unicaja Banco
0.82 | |
5 | |
1431 |
So that you do not say that we only see the straw in the other’s eye, here is our data:
Coinscrap Finance
0.25 | |
2 | |
506 |
Another interesting aspect of the websitecarbon.com page is that it tells us which are the sites that work with sustainable energy. This is the case of BBVA and Caixabank (and also us). As indicated by the “2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey. Waves of change: acknowledging progress, confronting setbacks” by Deloitte, these two generations are more aware of caring for the planet and are involved in curbing climate change.
The challenge of attracting a younger, more demanding and socially responsible audience
If banks do not want to see how their customer profile ages, they must take the necessary measures so that their ESG strategy does not remain in a series of data tables compiled in their annual report. To achieve this, they must promote energy efficiency, drastically reduce the use of paper and operate using renewable energy sources.
Institutions also have the capacity to encourage financing of sustainable projects and provide financial services that help promote environmental causes. Generation Z and millennials are taking action on this, with “7 in 10 respondents saying they actively try to minimize their impact on the environment.”
But the numbers also indicate that financial concerns can put a damper on these efforts. More than half of those surveyed think it will be more difficult or impossible to pay more for sustainable products and services if the economic situation stays the same or worsens. These are the most important concerns for both generations.
We analyze the case of ING Direct: Making young people fall in love with transparency
Let’s stop now to see the strategy of ING Direct, the bank whose website has shown to have the lowest emissions of all those consulted. It was born in 1991 from the merger between the Nationale-Nederlanden insurance company and the NMB Postbank Group bank; it is currently present in 46 countries. With its striking campaigns and policies, it has managed to attract the Spanish public between 18 and 35 years old.
Its approach (innovative at the time) was 100% customer-oriented, which millennials and Gen Z fell in love with. In reality, all those who were looking for a simpler, more transparent, digital and committed bank became part of its potential customers . Thinking differently paid off in the form of vast benefits!
Due to technology, ING has maintained its leadership as one of the most committed banks on the planet. As indicated on their website, they are classified as one of the strongest banks in ESG by S&P Global Ratings. Its MSCI ESG rating is “AA” and its shares are included in the Euronext, STOXX, FTSE Russell and Morningstar sustainability indices.
With this technology you can increase sales while offsetting the carbon footprint of your customers.
Digitization and respect for the planet, the union that makes strength
The entity showed all its muscle by developing pioneering digital platforms, providing its customers with an intuitive, agile banking experience and with a great UX. These characteristics were, and continue to be, highly valued by young people. When the entity landed in Spain, back in 1999, they were the most accustomed to the use of mobile devices.
In addition, ING Direct is a leader in sustainable financing:
“Investing in organizations that have a positive impact on society and the environment.”
ING Direct
It offers its customers a multitude of products such as green loans and bonds, investment in renewable energy or social improvements, among others. It is also sensitive to the current demands of its users regarding the calculation of the carbon footprint of consumption habits.
With specific modules, users can have an overview of their banking transaction that includes the value in kg of CO2eq in categories such as food, supermarkets, home, automobile, leisure, health, education and services. These tools are easily integrated via API and can be installed on the entity’s servers, in a private cloud or in the service provider’s cloud.