One third of the apartments purchased using the home loans granted by Center-invest Bank are located in new buildings with an energy efficiency rating of A or better. This shows that the bank’s customers are choosing the most energy-efficient and highest quality new buildings to live in.

An analysis of the estimation data on the carbon footprint of home loans, based on a methodology developed by the Bank, allowed to take into account the emissions for 700 loans worth 2.2 billion roubles. The apartments with an energy efficiency rating of A or better not only save energy and energy costs, but also reduce the amount of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere. Calculations show that even compared to a B‑rated (highly energy efficient) houses, such apartments are significantly greener, reducing the bank’s carbon footprint by 19.3 tonnes of CO2 per year, equivalent to the absorption capacity of 770 trees.

The methodology for estimating the carbon footprint is fairly accurate in calculating the specific annual heat consumption for heating, ventilation, hot water and general house use in multi-family residential buildings. This takes into account the building’s location, number of storeys, year of construction, energy efficiency class, size of the apartment and other parameters.

The evaluation perfectly complements the bank’s green home loan programme, which was launched in 2022. The bank offers a preferential rate for all home loan borrowers who purchase apartments in buildings with an energy efficiency rating of A or better.

Since 2005, Center-invest Bank has been evaluating its positive impact in terms of financing energy efficiency projects, placing exchange-traded green bonds and using solar energy for household consumption.

In 2023, the bank has set itself the ambitious target of estimating the carbon footprint of at least 2/3 of all loans granted by the bank, in order to achieve absolute carbon neutrality and, as a result, no negative impact on the environment.