UniCredit supports Earth Hour for the 15th consecutive year
- Lights will be switched off for one hour at two buildings in Austria and in 50 buildings across the Group
Tomorrow, Saturday 26 March at 8.30pm local time, UniCredit will turn off the lights in 50 of its buildings across all 13 Group countries for sixty minutes marking the bank’s 15th consecutive year of taking part in Earth Hour. In Austria, the lights are switched off at two UniCredit Bank Austria buildings on the Austria Campus in Vienna - at the headquarter addresses Rothschildplatz 1 and Rothschildplatz 4. Organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), this global movement unites people to take action on environmental issues and protect the planet.
Robert Zadrazil, CEO of UniCredit Bank Austria: “As a major lender to the economy, the shift to a sustainable economy is a high priority for UniCredit Bank Austria. Therefore, in August 2020 we concluded a cooperation agreement with WWF Austria. WWF supports Bank Austria since in setting sustainability targets for the loan portfolio. For example, we have developed criteria for 'green' mortgage loans together with experts from the WWF. As a member of the WWF Climate Group we also want to set a good example as a company, so we were able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 89 per cent and waste by 87 per cent from 2008 to the end of 2021. Since the beginning of 2020, we have also been sourcing 100 per cent of our electricity from renewable energy sources.”
Fiona Melrose, Head of Group Strategy and ESG at UniCredit, said: "Our annual participation in Earth Hour is part of UniCredit’s strong efforts to support sustainability and take action against climate change. During 2021, we signed up to the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, publicly declaring our commitment to a more sustainable future and we have also recently enhanced our polices across Coal and Oil & Gas, reinforcing the principles that shape how we operate. We continue to progress on our net zero commitments and embed ESG in all areas of the business while strengthening corporate culture under our common purpose of Empowering Communities to Progress.”
UniCredit puts its clients and communities at the heart of all activities and decisions, with a constant commitment to always serve their needs and be the bank for Europe's future. To concretely showcase how ESG values are embedded in our business and culture, both our Annual and Integrated Reports this year include a series of stories about our clients and people across the different countries of the Group, working together to empower communities and unlock their potential. These highlight UniCredit’s strong ESG ambitions and continued focus on supporting the transition to a more sustainable, better society for all.
Furthermore, our Integrated Report showcases how we are unlocking the potential of our stakeholders. UniCredit commits to create a positive environment based on respect, acting as engines of individual and collective growth, empowering communities to progress and help people, communities, and countries to unlock their potential. Protecting natural capital by delivering sustainable financing solutions to clients and reducing the environmental impact of our direct operations is also fostered by our commitment to a Net-Zero future. To find out more, please see here.
Enquiries
UniCredit Bank Austria Press Office
Franziska Schenker, Tel. +43 (0)5 05 05-51417
E-Mail: franziska.schenker@unicreditgroup.at