Ayala-owned Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is kicking off its Sustainability Awareness Month (SAM) this June 2024 with the theme “Beyond Green.”
At a press briefing on Thursday, May 30, BPI chief sustainability officer and chief finance officer Eric Luchangco presented the bank’s current sustainability initiatives as well as commitments for the next few years.
Luchangco said BPI has stopped financing coal power generation back in 2021 and aims to cut into half its remaining coal-power generation exposure by 2026. By 2032, the lender is seeking to have zero coal-power generation exposure.
Currently, BPI is estimated to have over 50% of its loan portfolio towards renewable energy sources.
The company’s Sustainable Development Finance (SDF) Program also mandates the shift towards energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture.
BPI said it has 14 branches which are certified green buildings by the International Finance Corporation – Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (IFC-EDGE).
Elena Torrijos, BPI head of public affairs and communication, also presented upcoming activities for the SAM that are open to the public. Starting things off is the “#BestLifeRun Corporate Race 2024,” on June 9 at the Ayala Triangle Gardens.
On June 13, BPI will hold two online seminars. One is the “SustainableME: Power Up your Biz with Renewable Energy,” which would showcase BPI Ka-Negosyo Green Financing and Ka-Negosyo SOLARise solutions, which are beneficial to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The other one is “Sustainable Investing: Driving Positive Change in the Philippine Stock Market,” which is a collaboration between BPI and the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), and would cover sustainable investing, and applying the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principle.
On June 18, the BPI SDF will hold a business talk about sustainability in the manufacturing industry, discussing related regulatory updates, emerging trends in energy efficiency, resource efficiency, and water and pollution control.
The June 26 event is for those in the agriculture and poultry industry. The event titled, “Beyond Green: Sustainable Agricultural Technologies and Poultry Practices,” will introduce innovation in poultry production, waste management, vertical farming, and soil conditioning.
Along with these events, BPI also highlighted their current programs towards sustainability. The bank said its seven apps help people conduct their banking business with less carbon footprint than face-to-face banking.
- Vybe (digital wallet)
- BPI Online/BPI App (retail clients)
- BPI Trade (digital equities trading platform)
- BanKo Mobile App (for self-employed micro-entrepreneur banking)
- BPI BizKo (for SME banking)
- BPI BizLink (for large corporate banking)
- BPI Wealth App (for wealth clients)
It also has E-Vehicle Financing, Solar Mortgage, and Eco-Build Financing programs to help with further its vision of fostering sustainable and inclusive growth for Filipinos.
