SEB Banka launched the comprehensive SEB Green Year initiative in January 2012 to reduce the environmental impact of its employees and unite them around green ideas. The initiative included creating a central "SEB Green Tree" campaign character to promote green messages, implementing more environmentally friendly operations like heating systems and vehicles, and educating employees and the public on sustainability. The Green Year achieved notable results like installing paper recycling boxes, switching 90% of paper to recycled, replacing vehicles with low-emission options, and receiving sustainability awards.

1. Category:CSR
SEB Banka
Truly Green
Summary
SEB banka has positioned itself as a distinct flagship for green ideas on both the local and international
level and is making a great effort to follow through with these beliefs. Our business is based on high
ethical standards, long-term cooperation and staff that resolutely implements our corporate strategy and
provides social and environmental conservation management. In January 2012, the comprehensive SEB
Green Year initiative was launched. The project intended to reduce the impact of each participating
employee on the environment, create added value on services and unite the company‟s employees
throughout Latvia, as well as find solutions through joint discussions regarding how to achieve our
business goals through the prism of green ideas. For the goals of SEB banka to not only be readable, but
also visible, in the beginning of the SEB Green Year a central campaign character was created – SEB
Green Tree, as well as six wise men, who could be found at all SEB buildings by employees, customers
and partners. The Green Year campaign had also integrated communication about the green and healthy
lifestyle products sponsored by SEB banka, implemented in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund,
Latvian State Forests and the SEB Mountain Bike Marathon organisers.
Situation
Being environmentally friendly is one of the cornerstones of a sustainable business and SEB Group
operations. In 1996, SEB group signed environmental documents of the United Nations and the
International Chamber of Commerce. In 2004, the environmental policy of SEB Group was developed and
approved, which included clear objectives and commitments in the area of environment and corporate
social responsibility. An environmental goal of SEB Group is to reduce CO2 emissions by 45% from 2008
to 2015. During this time, several initiatives have been implemented, SEB Group has been actively
involved in the global Earth Hour campaign, and in 2012 it took another step by introducing the SEB
Green Year. Not so long ago, in 2011, the Latvian company had implemented an internal Earth Hour
project, which gained an unexpectedly overwhelming response from the employees. This served as a basis
for the comprehensive SEB Green Year initiative.
Objectives
Being a sustainable business is not just mere words. It includes a range of activities purposefully
implemented by SEB banka, thus proving that, as a company, it plans its operations and long-term
development.
Objectives and activities were defined during the Green Year to ensure the following:
Implementation of a more environmentally friendly heating system;
Development of an environmentally friendly car fleet;
As well as reduced paper and
Electricity consumption in a company where resources are consumed daily by nearly 1,500 employees.
Strategy
The campaign was intended as proof that each individual employee, by making a small contribution and
getting involved in the general concept together with other colleagues, is able to achieve remarkable
results. The project intended to reduce the impact on the environment of each employee involved, create
added value on services, and unite the entire team of the company in Latvia. It was also intended to find
solutions through common discussions about how to achieve ambitious business goals through the prism of
green ideas. To implement the green initiative by using another, more creative approach, which would not
only attract attention, but also create a desire to get involved, different visual materials were developed
involving the central campaign character – the SEB Green Tree, which can be found in all SEB banka
buildings by its employees, customers and partners.
Baltic PR Awards 2012

2. Category:CSR
Execution
In the beginning of the SEB Green Year, the main campaign character – SEB Green Tree was created, which
could be found by its employees both physically in the bank‟s buildings and through electronic channels.
Stickers with the SEB Green Tree were glued on elevators. These stickers contained fun phrases, for
example, suggesting one to use stairs instead of the elevator (“Riding the elevator is like eating a cake”).
Each floor had information about the altitude reached by the employee, for example, “You have climbed
up a giraffe” or “You have climbed up ArēnaRīga”. The SEB Green Tree stickers were also glued in
staircases to cheer up „climbers‟ with various interesting phrases. We also placed stickers above all
electrical switches in the SEB banka buildings, containing information about saving electricity.
To reduce paper consumption, an electronic billing system was introduced in cooperation with Lattelecom.
Boxes for paper were installed in the buildings, from which all paper is recycled.
We have started to change heating systems. For example, branch offices in Jūrmala, Krāslava and Limbaži
have switched to more environmentally friendly heating.
A public campaign „For the Baltic Sea‟ was launched, where we, together with the campaign leader
Dzintars, educated people on how to reduce pollution.
The bank‟s car fleet is being gradually replaced with more environmentally friendly vehicles.
In creating our product offers we have increased the presence of green ideas, for example, pay less when
choosing „green‟, Eco leasing, or loans for energy efficient buildings.
Documented Results
The following has been accomplished during the final stages of the campaign by the end of 2012:
A special Green section – SEB Eco IQ has been set up on the SEB‟s internal website (intranet), containing
the SEB Group‟s environmental policy and SEB business sustainability priorities, and everyone has an
opportunity to calculate their ecological footprint and learn about current events and competitions.
A comprehensive communication campaign was realised throughout the year, using a variety of creative
communication solutions to promote green ideas everywhere, from policy documents to employees‟ daily
lives.
An electronic billing system was introduced, which has already by now led to savings of 3 pages per
invoice.
Boxes for recycling paper were installed. All paper placed in these boxes is recycled. Currently already 90%
of all paper used is recycled.
Installation of environmentally friendly heating systems started in SEB branch offices.
45% of the car fleet is environmentally friendly with its CO2 content not exceeding 129g per 1 km.
Drinking water in all buildings is provided from Venden water machines (previously used water from 0.5 l
plastic bottles).
Latvenergo awarded the Powered by Green quality mark, certifying that at least 70% of the electricity used
is generated from environmentally friendly, renewable resources.
Eco leasing – for cars with CO2 emissions not exceeding 130g/km, customers will be granted a discount of
1% from the calculated rate (300 cars purchased);
The company has been recognised as one of the most sustainable companies in Latvia, receiving the Golden
Assessment of Sustainability Index.
Baltic PR Awards 2012