China CITIC Bank International Limited recently opened its first ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance) themed flagship branch in Tsim Sha Tsui – a pivotal step that carries significant weight in the Bank’s commitment to advancing green finance development.
With the opening of the ESG flagship branch, CNCBI will continue to pursue development opportunities within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in an effort to broaden its cross-border business.
Wendy Yuen, Deputy Head of Personal and Business Banking Group and Head of Distribution, CNCBI, said, “Opening the new ESG flagship branch in bustling Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui marks an important step in CNCBI’s retail development strategy.”
“In addition to providing local and cross-border customers with more professional and convenient banking services, the new ESG flagship branch demonstrates our commitment to implementing ESG concepts, from its landmark appearance to the human-centric interior design and materials, as well as paperless services,” she added.
CNCBI’s new ESG flagship branch prides itself as the first bank branch in Hong Kong to harness the power of a three-storey solar glass panels which harvests approximately 200 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per month for the branch and serves as an example of pioneering uses of renewable energy in retail operations.
Aside from the exterior design, the facility and software setup of the ESG flagship branch also keep ESG concepts in mind:
- Energy saving: Natural lighting design with energy-saving LED sensors and an intelligent constant temperature central air-conditioning system reduce daily electricity consumption.
- Repurposed resources: Extensive use of renewable, non-toxic and low-emission eco-friendly materials for furniture, interior walls and carpets including meeting room tables made of eco-materials of more than 30% chili leaves and chili seeds, and a feature wall constructed in excess of 300 pieces of 99% recycled glass.
- Air quality: Select interior walls coated with diatomaceous earth which is a sedimentary deposit of aquatic plankton “diatoms” from millions of years ago and boasts air-purifying and bacteria-absorbing properties. Natural, eco-friendly algae plants are installed to reduce carbon and dust, control temperature, purify air and improve indoor air quality effectively.
- Paperless operation: Optimised electronic processes for non-cash services and real-time information validation shorten service time and enhances customer experience. Paperless operation and streamlined middle- and back-end operations improve operational efficiency by more than 30% and provide customers with services with greater speed and security.
- Staff participation: A dedicated ESG mobile app encourages branch staff to take an active part in environmental protection by practising green habits in their daily routines.
- The new ESG flagship branch displays its environmental and energy-saving performance data on an ESG dashboard at the branch’s lobby area. Over the last two months, the branch has achieved remarkable results with the energy and resources conserved equivalent to saving about 300 trees.
