Santander Bank Polska celebrates World Environment Day
As every year, World Environment Day was celebrated on 5 June. On this occasion Santander Bank Polska joined actions organised by the UNEP/GRID-Warszawa Centre. The bank takes part in the RE:Generation environmental project, and for the fourth time has become a partner of the Green Ribbon #ForPlanet campaign.
As part of the celebration of World Environment Day and the Green Ribbon #forPlanet campaign, Santander Bank Polska joined the #OnlyOneEarth manifesto. It is a document drawing attention to the fact that caring for the climate is also a concern for peace, well-being and justice in the world. The official reading of the Manifesto took place on 3 June in the Royal Łazienki Park in Warsaw. The document is available on the DlaPlanety.pl website in three language versions: Polish, English and Ukrainian. In autumn, it will be sent to the United Nations and the European Commission.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stockholm Conference, which established the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Over the years, it has taken action to care for the well-being of people and the planet, while adhering to values such as responsibility, peace and respect for the principles of equality. The manifesto aims to show support for the programmes run by the UN and the many organisations taking action to protect the environment.
RE:Generation project
For years, Santander Bank Polska has been supporting activities that spread knowledge and promote care for the environment, which is why it has become a partner of the RE:Generation action. The project is organised by the UNEP/GRID-Warsaw Centre, which for more than 30 years has been carrying out the UNEP mission in Poland, working for environmental protection and sustainable development.
Santander Bank Polska has become the sole custodian of the meadow ecosystem in the Łódź Heights Landscape Park. Financial support for the project is aimed at restoring a flower meadow of about 400 m2 and building two houses for pollinating insects in the park. Measures were taken to create food sources for pollinating insects such as solitary bees, butterflies and various species of bumblebees, including the Taiga bumblebee – a boreal relict found in the Łódź Heights Landscape Park. Additionally, the idea is to help protect native flora and fauna from foreign species and provide insects with shelter and breeding places. As part of the cooperation, environmental education actions will also be designed.
As part of the campaign, on the www.Re.Generacja.org website users can find Information about the problems caused by dying ecosystems. The website offers „deals” reminiscent of last minute holiday offers from travel agencies. However, when you click on it, instead of attractive holiday destinations, you will see a depressing view of degraded ecosystems. On the website, users can take a virtual tour, do a self-quiz, try out the escape room and make a donation to help save the environment, among other things.
World Environment Day is a good opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of taking care of the environment and using green solutions, not only in your everyday life, but also in business. As one of the largest banks in Poland, we feel obliged to spread the knowledge on environmental protection and counteracting climate change. The fact that such activities are necessary is confirmed by the results of a survey conducted during the CSR Fair, in which out of 1,000 people interviewed as many as 22% did not know how to define "climate", 59% did not know the term "greenwashing" and 42% did not know what a "carbon footprint" is. We want to change these statistics and that is why we are willing to join initiatives of such organisations as UNEP/GRID.
