The ING Group is a business that aims to simplify the way that data is managed in businesses; the company helps businesses access, share and extract value from customer data. The company has been carbon neutral since 2007 and continues to make a conscious effort to be environmentally friendly. The ING Group has even been recognised by the CDP for their environmental efforts. They were included on the CDP’s ‘A List’ of companies that are leading the way to a cleaner, greener future.
The ING Group’s Three Carbon Offsetting Projects
The ING Group is a pioneer in carbon offsetting; the company invests in such offsetting projects to ensure that it remains carbon neutral. This is achieved through purchasing voluntary carbon units. The majority of the company’s carbon units originate from a high-impact Acre Amazonian Rainforest REDD+ Portfolio in Brazil. This effort includes three projects that prevent deforestation across 105,000 hectares of the rainforest in the Amazon basin. The project grants land tenure and provides agricultural training to local communities. The portfolio is validated to the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and has achieved Gold Level status under the Climate Community and Biodiversity (CCB) Standard.
Environmental Initiatives
The ING Group is committed to being sustainable in its own operations. It has established its own internal programme, called the Environmental Programme, that it uses to measure and monitor the impact of its operations on the environment. Via the RE100 initiative, the ING Group has committed to powering its buildings through 100% renewable energy. This initiative extends to the ING Group’s operations, buildings and IT systems.
The ING Group’s commitment to the environment extends to its investment practices. The ING Group finances energy projects, including wind farms, solar energy and geothermal power. The company has financed billions of euros into these types of projects through green loans, green bonds and other innovative products and financing methods. The ING Group even offers its corporate clients a sustainability improvement loan, which offers low-interest rates for improved sustainability performance.
Going Above and Beyond - ING's mission to become a leader in green business
The ING Group’s efforts don’t stop there; the company has many goals regarding continuing to improve its sustainability performance. It aims to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions from buildings and data centres by 80% by the end of 2022, and 90% by the end of 2030. It aims to reduce scope 3 emissions from travel by 25% by the end of 2022. It aims to reduce overall energy consumption by 65% by the end of 2030. It is clear that the ING Group is a pioneer in improving sustainability in the financial services field; the company continues to demonstrate its commitment to remaining sustainable through its current practices and future goals.
The ING Group is dedicated to being environmentally friendly in many aspects of its operations. It has been dedicated to the sustainability movement for a long time; it was moving towards carbon neutrality before there was a lot of pressure on companies to be sustainable. The ING Group continues to put emphasis on increasingly sustainable business and aims to become even more sustainable in the coming years.
