Paper
The Group continued its policy to use less paper, with consumption going down by around 500 tonnes (-6.2%) compared to 2015.
In 2016, the Group focussed on various digitalisation initiatives, including fewer print-outs, information leaflets displayed on screen, online reporting and the Zero Paper project for training events, as well as the digitalisation of contracts.
Thanks to this strategy, the reduction in paper amounted to 2,700 tonnes in 2016, corresponding to 4,300 tonnes less of CO2 emissions and savings of around 3 million euro.
Digitalisation at international banks achieved important results. The Danube Project, currently underway at Privredna Banka Zagreb, uses biometric signatures to eliminate paper and has saved on around 49 tonnes of paper.
Multi-channel projects in Italy and the “Digical” project for the Group's international banks were particularly significant @.
DIGITALISATION OF CONTRACTS
In 2016, the project to digitalise contracts continued in Italy (see the section “Intellectual and infrastructure capital”, page 110) with an estimated saving of at least 815 tonnes of CO2 as well as a saving from the use of electronic signatures of around 230 tonnes of CO2.
The project started in 2011, with simple electronic signatures and the digitalisation of some categories of bank transactions. Since 2015, with developments in national laws and the publication of Technical Rules of the Digital Administration Code, it has been possible to expand the branch digitalisation process to cover more complex activities, such as signing contracts and investment transactions. Today, at all branches and Personal branches and at all retail branches, contracts and documents for a numerous services, such as opening current accounts, applying for payment cards, personal loans, signing asset management, fund transactions and insurance policies, are digitalised, in addition to teller transactions.
Since 6 June 2016, only electronic or remote digital signatures can be used at all personal and retail Group branches to sign contracts that have already been digitalised.
The new procedure to sign documents for the sale of banking, financial and insurance products and services lets customers display all commercial documents and estimates electronically on tablets and sign contracts electronically or by remote digital signature. Digitalised bank documents are filed electronically in digital document archives, while customer documents may be delivered by Internet Banking, email or, if requested, as hard copies.
Green products
In Italy, over 45 tonnes of green products were purchased in 2016. In particular, pens recycled by 92%, pencils recycled by 57% with NF environment certification, 100% recycled PVC wallets, recycled card folders with Blue Angel certification, recycled paper notebooks, 100% recycled hanging card folders were purchased, and self-inking stamps and CO2 neutral date stamps were included in the catalogue in 2016.
Office machinery
The Bank has been involved for some time now in evaluating the environmental impact of its purchases and the responsible use of office machinery (desktops, computer monitors and stand alone units, notebooks, photocopiers and printers, in Italy and gradually throughout the entire Group. This evaluation considers not only all laws and applicable conformity requirements, but also specific environmental criteria, for an accurate, measurable assessment. In Italy, these types of purchases totalled 31,600 items in 2016.
WATER
Water is mainly used for hygiene purposes at the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, but in some limited cases is also used for “technological” purposes, for the production of cold air for air-conditioning. In 2016, the Group's use of water per capita went down by around 2% compared to 2015, to below the level of 26 cubic meters per staff member (figures are related to the payment of invoices and not to actual use in the period).
In Italy, the Intesa Sanpaolo Skyscraper is an example of efficient water management, winning the LEED Platinum award in 2015, thanks also to its excellent water management score. The skyscraper was given a maximum score (10 out of 10) thanks to: water saving and/or timer taps, dual flush WCs, dual supply for WCs with rain water, a high-efficiency spray irrigation system and rain water recovery, also for irrigation. As a result, water consumption was around 11 cubic meters per staff member in 2016. With 24 drinking water fountains in break areas at the new Turin headquarters, 192,000 half-litre water bottles were not used, which is equivalent to a saving of 3.8 tonnes of plastic and 18 tonnes of CO2 emissions avoided.
Waste
Waste in 2016 amounted to 37 kg per staff member. The overall amount of waste produced by the Intesa Sanpaolo Group went down by 2.2% compared to 2015, with a 7.7% decrease in Italy and an increase at international banks, mainly due to the disposal of office machinery and, for Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania, to waste material from renovation/energy efficiency works.
Unlike 2014 and 2015, 2016 results for Italy included used printer cartridges. So, although the total amount of waste produced by the Intesa Sanpaolo Group went down compared to 2015, the updated analysis of produced waste, in accordance with the GHG Protocol (Scope3) Accounting and Reporting Standard (WBCSD - WRI 2011), showed an increase in the carbon footprint and primary energy compared to the previous year.
With a view to reducing waste and re-using resources to avoid waste, Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Ireland donated the personal computers it was replacing to non-profit associations.
Total weight of waste by disposal method
