Center-invest Bank was an official partner for Russia’s Earth Hour 2021, organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Earth Hour is one of the world’s largest movements for our planet. Earth Hour 2021 was held on Saturday 27 March from 20:30 to 21:30, local time. For this event, WWF Russia, Center-invest Bank, and all the other partners encourage people to switch off their lights and electrical appliances for one hour as a sign that they care about the future of the planet. People are urged to think about their responsibility for nature and natural resources.

Center-invest Bank shares the WWF’s values of environmental conservation and protection. This was the fifth year that we had taken part in Earth Hour: for one hour, the external lights and roof advertising were switched off in Center-invest Bank offices and branches. Fifty-four of our branches participated in the event (in Moscow, the Rostov and Volgograd regions, Krasnodar krai and Stavropol krai). The total energy saving was 21kW. In addition, one quarter of the bank’s employees (almost 400 people) participated in Earth Hour in their own homes.

For Center-invest Bank, environmental and social responsibility is just as much a priority as traditional banking products and services. Energy-efficiency projects are part of the bank’s ESG strategy and we have invested RUB18.8bn in this area. The projects financed by the bank have reduced CO2 emissions by 225,550 tonnes a year.

Center-invest Bank uses renewable energy. In 2020, the bank installed solar panels on the roof of its head office. In six months, these panels generated 4,500 kW of clean energy, providing power for the bank’s 24/7 self-service zone.

The bank implements eco-friendly measures: where possible, we replace printed materials with digital alternatives, promotional items are made from recycled or eco-friendly materials, banners are upcycled after use, and waste is sorted after events. We have wastepaper and battery recycling bins for employees to use, and we arrange for waste to be recycled. Our employees reduce their carbon footprint by sorting waste for recycling, at home and at work, cycling to work, and participating in tree-planting days.

The theme of Earth Hour 2021 in Russia was environmental disclosure. The slogan was #disclose. WWF Russia encouraged Russians to support their appeal to the Russian Government and Russian business associations to provide access to information about environmental conditions. During the campaign, Russians were also informed about how and where to obtain environmental information, what information the government and businesses are meant to provide, and how they, as citizens, can promote environmental disclosure.

We are proud to be part of this worldwide event and to contribute to the future of the planet!