Responsibility for
the Environment
#believeintomorrow
Only in an intact environment can the economy and society function. Therefore, we are committed to climate protection and addressing the environmental impacts of our own banking operations.
Since 2015, we have relied on a certified environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001 and the associated environmental policy. Steiermärkische Sparkasse was one of the first banks in Austria to use these measures in order to raise awareness not only among its own employees but also of the public for sustainable, environmentally friendly practices.
Our essential sustainability topics
The essential sustainability topics put emphasis on the responsibilities in the "Responsibility for the environment" area of activity.
Sustainable Locations
Our goal is to minimize the environmental impact at our locations as much as possible. For this reason, our branches are continuously being renovated in line with internal standards for sustainable building technology. We place great importance on environmentally friendly and resource-efficient construction methods. Concerning procurement and the selection of our suppliers and service providers, we take ecological and social impacts into account as much as possible. Our purchasing policy emphasizes sustainability through measures such as waste reduction and the avoidance of plastic.
Nachhaltige Unternehmensstrategie
Eco-friendly Mobility
We also aim to minimize our environmental impact when it comes to the mobility of our employees. This is why we bank on various initiatives to promote environmentally friendly mobility. Our goal is to reduce CO2 through environmentally friendly mobility and in this way improve our environmental record. E-bikes, e-scooters, and e-cars are being made available to our employees and are increasingly being used for business trips. Moreover, we are gradually converting our vehicle fleet to e-mobility.
Nachhaltige Unternehmensstrategie
Ecological footprint
By measuring the ecological footprint of our banking operations, we want to ensure a transparent environmental balance for our company. Knowing which areas of business activities cause which CO2 emissions is a precondition for making relevant ecological contributions to sustainable development. Our goal is to achieve net zero of our own banking operations (Scope 1, 2) by 2030.
Nachhaltige Unternehmensstrategie
The bees: Essential for our future
With the installation of a beehive on the roof of the branch in Leibnitz, a first project was initiated to protect habitat and biodiversity in the region. In cooperation with the Leibnitz Beekeeping Association, the Steiermärkische Sparkasse promotes and protects honeybees. We are constantly expanding our commitment to bees and settling bee colonies in additional locations.