As the first step towards going Green, we looked at our day to day functioning to identify and implement ‘Green’ measures. These measures ranged from reduction in consumption of energy and paper to employee engagement.

Power Go Green Contest

ICICI Bank invited ideas for Going Green from employees through the Power Go Green contest. The contest received an overwhelming response with participation through over 540 ideas. The ideas were evaluated and selected for implementation by a panel from the Organisation Excellence Group on parameters of effectiveness and efficiency like Novelty, Ease of Implementation, Impact, Scalability and Cost efficiency.

Power Go Green Contest

Conserving Energy

Encouraging turning off and/or unplugging all lights and electronic equipment (computers, monitors, photocopiers, cell phone chargers, printers, radios, etc.) when not in use, and fully utilizing power-saving settings when in use Recycling and refilling ink cartridges for our printers Replacing incandescent bulbs with CFLs when they need to be replaced, internally and externally Utilising online "Webinars" for shorter meetings that involve people who might otherwise have to travel a long distance Encouraging use of carpool and use public transportation

Conserving Energy

	Saving Paper
	Upgrading to a higher percentage post-consumer waste recycled paper internally (copy and printer paper) and externally (brochures, etc.) Shredding and recycling all paper internally Sharing electronic files, voice mail and e-mail instead of paper memos Duplexing (two-sided printing) when possible as well as limiting printed materials/e-mails/memos to only what is necessary

Saving Paper

ICICI Bank’s Green initiatives aimed at customers are driven by the objective of collaborating with each of our customers and making ‘Green’ a part of all our lives. These initiatives range from Green offerings/ incentives, Green engagement to Green communication to our customers.

Green Products & Services

‘Instabanking’ - It is the platform that brings together all our alternate channels under one umbrella and gives customers the convenience of banking anytime anywhere through Internet banking, i-Mobile banking, IVR Banking. This reduces the carbon footprint of the customers by ensuring they do not have to resort to physical statements or travel to their branches. Vehicle Finance- As an initiative towards more environment friendly way of life, Auto loans offers you 50% waiver on processing fee on car models which uses alternate mode of energy. The models identified for the purpose are, Maruti's LPG version of Maruti 800, Omni and Versa,  Hyundai's Santro Eco, Civic Hybrid of Honda, Reva electric cars, Tata Indica CNG and Mahindra Logan CNG versions. Each car that hits the road impacts the environment...make an informed choice for a better earth. Home Finance- ICICI Home Finance offers reduced processing fees to customers who purchase homes in ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’ (LEED) certified buildings.

Green Products & Services

Green Engagements

ICICI Bank has conducted Green themed events with our customers during Diwali to build awareness about the environment amongst employees and customers alike. During this event Money Plants were presented to our customers as token of prosperity and also as a token of our collective responsibility in building a greener society. In line with the ‘Go Green’ commitment, ICICI Bank has partnered the Green themed CNBC- Overdrive Auto Awards this year. 'Earth Hour' - In furtherance of its ‘Green’ commitment, ICICI Bank pledged its support to the world’s largest global climate change event- the 'Earth Hour'. On Saturday- March 28, 2009, ICICI Bank switched off all lights in its premises, Branches and ATMs between 8.30 PM- 9.30 PM- the designated ‘Earth Hour’. We are sure, one hour of darkness will help bring to light one of our generation's largest challenges "Climate Change". World Environment Day- June 5, 2009-ICICI Bank celebrated the World Environment Day on June 5, 2009. To mark the occasion, branches across the country undertook a number of activities. Branches along with their customers took the green pledge through signature campaigns, planted and distributed saplings, conducted drawing and painting competition for children, conducted cycle rallies. Employees at the ICICI Bank Towers, BKC, took the Green pledge by wearing the Green ribbon and endorsing the Green cause. As a gesture of its commitment towards the environment, ICICI Bank also switched off lights in its offices, Branches and ATMs on Friday- June 5, 2009- 8.30 PM- 9.30 PM. ICICI Bank, Lucknow also celebrated the 'Environment Week' from June 1- 8, 2009 wherein ICICI Bank further strengthened its commitment to the environment by planting a tree for every new account opened during this period.

Green Engagements

Green Communication

ICICI Bank has extensively capitalized on the existing internal media- statements, inserts, Credit Card Charge slips- to reach out to the customers and seek their collaboration in the ‘Go Green’ movement. The communication on Online Bill pay, Online Funds Transfer and Subscribing to e-statements are aimed at migrating customers to ‘paperless’ and ‘commute-free’ mode of conducting some of their banking transactions.

Green Communication

Green Partners

Green Partners

ICICI Bank is working on and looking forward to partnerships with national and international ‘Green’ organisations and NGOs. In the past ICICI Bank has been associated with BNHS in the past and has also partnered the Green Governance Awards set up by BNHS to recognise and appreciate the participant organisation's efforts beyond meeting the statutory compliance for protection and conservation of the environment.

Every tonne of paper saves 17 trees.

• Purchase recycled paper.
• Print on reusable sheets.
• Print multiple pages on single sheets of paper.
• Set defaults to print double-sided and print on both sides.
• Print only the pages required.
• Preview documents before printing.
• Increase margin width of the documents.
• Change the default font size from 12 point to 10 which would shrink your document by about 10%.
• Use e-mail statements. We can save an enormous amount of paper.

Plant or help plant more trees and preventing the cutting of the existing ones, contribute towards the making of a healthy planet, at no extra cost.   

• Pay your bills online. For every 38,000 bills paid online, 5,058 pounds of greenhouse gases are avoided and two tons of trees are preserved.
• Use Car pools to go to work. Avoiding 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
• Drive responsibly. Every gallon of gas burned emits 20 pounds of carbon dioxide, so make the most of your tank.
• Use CFL lights.  Compact fluorescents produce the same amount of light as normal bulbs, but use about a quarter of the electricity and last ten times as long.
• Unplug electronics. Cell phone chargers, TVs, DVD players, stereos, microwaves and other electronics with transformers continue to draw power, even when they're off or not charging anything, as long as they're plugged in.
• Turn off the tap while brushing teeth.
• Always use a cloth bag. Do not use paper or plastic bags for your grocery.

Trees are the longest living organisms on the planet and one of the earth's greatest natural resources.

• By cooling the air and ground around them, the shade from trees helps cool the Earth's temperature.
• Trees lower air temperature by evaporating water in their leaves.
• Trees are good noise barriers, making a city and neighborhood quieter.
• Trees help prevent city flooding by catching raindrops and offsetting runoff caused by buildings and parking lots.
• A tree-line buffer between fields and streams helps remove farming pollutants before they reach the water.
• Tree roots stabilise the soil and prevent erosion.
• Trees improve water quality by slowing and filtering rain water as well as protecting aquifers and watersheds.
• Trees provide protection from downward fall of rain, sleet, and hail as well as reduce storm run-off and the possibility of flooding.
• Trees provide food and shelter for wildlife.
• Trees located along streets act as a glare and reflection control.
• Trees enhance the aesthetics of our environment. Their grandeur, tenacity, and beauty are probably the most enjoyable aspect of trees.
  
  

• Trees renew our air supply by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.
• A single tree produces approximately 260 pounds of oxygen per year. That means two mature trees can supply enough oxygen annually to support a family of four!
• Trees help reduce the "greenhouse effect" by absorbing carbon dioxide.
• The amount of oxygen produced by an acre of trees per year equals the amount consumed by 18 people annually. One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year.
• One person causes about 10 tons of carbon dioxide to be emitted a year. One tree removes about 1 ton of carbon dioxide per year.
• One tree can absorb as much carbon in a year as a car produces while driving 26,000 miles.
• An average tree absorbs 4.5 kg of air pollutants every year.
• Planting 30 trees per person will remove each that person's carbon debt for the year.

• In 50 years one tree recycles more than $37,000 worth of water, provides $31,000 worth of erosion control, $62,000 worth of air pollution control, and produces $37,000 worth of oxygen.
• The shade and wind buffering provided by trees reduces annual heating and cooling costs by 2.1 billion dollars.
• Each average-sized tree provides an estimated $7 savings in annual environmental benefits, including energy conservation and reduced pollution.
• Well placed trees help cut energy costs and consumption by decreasing air conditioning costs 10-50% & reducing heating costs as much as 4-22%.
• Shade trees can make buildings up to 20 degrees cooler in the summer.
• The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle is enough to power a light bulb for four hours.
• Recycling one plastic bottle can save the same amount of energy needed to power a 60-watt light bulb for six hours.