Resource efficiency

While the financial sector is not an intensive user given the nature of its activities, BPI recognizes the need for the prudent use of all resources, eg. electricity, water, fuel, and paper. We keep track of our environmental impact and encourage our stakeholders to do the same.

Energy consumption

BPI’s energy consumption comes mainly from the electricity requirements of our daily branch and office operations.

The Facilities Services Group (FSG) handles all physical maintenance and construction-related works that support the Bank’s business activities. In line with the bank-wide strategy to shift from physical to digital, FSG’s initiatives focused less on building branches and more on reducing operating costs while maintaining the quality and integrity of our physical premises.

FSG supported preparations for the BPI and BPI Family Bank merger by ensuring the timely completion of retrofitting works for co-locating branches. By mid-year 2021, the conversion to LED lights was completed for 100% of branches nationwide. By December 2022, 85% of branch air-conditioning units have been switched with inverter types.

BPI’s corporate offices have also started sourcing its electricity from renewable sources, with BPI Buendia Center having shifted as of June 2022 and both BPI Family Savings Bank Center & BPI Intramuros in the pipeline for shifting by January 2023.

Greenhouse gas emissions

BPI’s Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are computed based on the Bank’s electricity consumption and the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Grid Emission Factors. This falls under Scope 2 of the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard, which refers to indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy.

To minimize GHG emissions resulting from travel, BPI continues to implement virtual meetings with both internal and external stakeholders.

As of 2022, BPI has engaged a third-party consultant organization for its Net Zero Strategy Roadmap.

Green buildings

BPI has started exploring and implementing new efficient branch designs, green-building certifications, and the use of renewable energy for our facilities.

With a groundbreaking ceremony held last March 2022, BPI’s new head office building is targeted to be aligned with EDGE (or Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies), LEED (or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), and WELL certifications.

Last October 2022, BPI Iloilo Solis became the first bank branch in the Philippines to earn an EDGE certification from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. Since then, three more branches – BPI Loyola Katipunan, BPI Guiguinto, and BPI San Fernando Highway Main – have received the same green building certification.

Water consumption

The Bank’s water consumption comes from pantry sinks, washrooms, and maintenance faucets in branches and offices. As with our electricity, our water is sourced from water distribution companies and is monitored through utility billings.

Material consumption

The Centralized Operations Group (COG) has an Electronic Statement of Account (eSOA) project in contribution to the Bank’s digitalization strategy. The initiative, which converted paper-based to electronic bank statements, has helped improve customer experience with faster and more efficient delivery of SOAs via email compared to physical delivery, and at the same time reducing costs for the Bank.

Capacity building on environmental sustainability

As part of the management of BPI premises, FSG also facilitates the Bank’s compliance with government regulations on environmental impact such as energy, water, air, as well as solid and hazardous waste. This includes permits, reports, and other requirements of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), among others. Pollution Control Officers (PCOs) and engineers are assigned by geographic clusters and are continuously trained to stay up to date with the latest regulations and trends on environmental management.

1 Includes branches, head offices, and business centers in the Philippines, excluding BanKo branches and branch-lite units.

2 GHG emissions are computed using the latest available National Grid Emission Factors from the Department of Energy (Source: DOE.gov.ph)

3 One tree makes 8,333.3 sheets (Source: Conservatree.org)