A total of more than 3,000 trees and 5km of hedgerows are set to be planted across the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man as part of a partnership between HSBC and island conservation charities this year.
The environmental boost is the result of a green finance campaign launched by the Bank earlier this year, which saw it make donations to National Trust for Jersey, National Trust of Guernsey, Alderney Wildlife Trust and Manx Wildlife Trust every time a personal customer took out an ‘HSBC Green Loan’ during 2021.
A total combined donation of more than £53,000 has been donated to these partner charities.
The Bank also implemented plans aimed at reducing plastic usage, by using 85% recycled plastics for its credit cards and extending the life of cards from three to five years, and reducing paper waste by, for example, enabling those applying for a mortgage to sign documents digitally and upload them electronically.
As a result of the campaign, almost 24,000 customers switched to e-statements, saving more than 1 million sheets of A4 paper each year.
Cameron Senior, Interim Head of Wealth and Personal Banking, HSBC Channel Islands and Isle of Man, said: “2021 was a pivotal year for us in terms of bringing a number of green finance solutions to the islands, and the response from customers has been fantastic. Their actions have enabled us to make considerable donations to conservation charities across the Channel Islands and Isle of Man and make a tangible impact through tree and hedgerow planting programmes.
“Of course, we cannot stop there and our aim remains to help build a net zero global economy. We absolutely recognise that we have a responsibility to our customers and the communities in which we operate to support sustainable banking and living and we will continue to focus on this area in 2022.”
