BNP Paribas ClimateSeed has won a gold ‘Social, Sustainable & Responsible Banking’ award in the Customer Insight and Growth Banking Innovation Awards 2019, run by EFMA and Accenture.
ClimateSeed is a digital voluntary carbon offsetting platform that connects organisations with sustainable projects that capture or avoid carbon emissions, and is BNP Paribas’ first social business targeting climate action. The award recognises innovations that demonstrate an institution’s commitment to address social and environmental issues, support SMEs, and demonstrate their ability to serve clients.
As a Social Business, ClimateSeed reinvests its profits to maximize its environmental and social impact, which includes programmes to educate on decarbonisation. ClimateSeed was launched by BNP Paribas Securities Services during the Global Social Business Summit in November 2018 with Nobel Peace prize laureate Prof Yunus, in collaboration with his consultancy firm - the Grameen Creative Lab.
Winners are selected through a committee judging and member voting process. This incorporates the EFMA committee evaluating all banking and payment innovations on originality, impact and universality.
Sébastien Nunes, CEO at BNP Paribas ClimateSeed said:
“Innovation and sustainability together can accelerate positive impact, and ClimateSeed is honoured to receive this award. Moving towards a more sustainable future requires solutions which encourage companies and investors to scale up their climate action efforts. As a social business, we are also engaged on supporting further social and economic co-benefits for the community, and can play a connecting role bringing together stakeholders across the market to promote the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
Antoine Sire, Head of Company Engagement at BNP Paribas Group & Chairman of the ClimateSeed Advisory Board said:
“BNP Paribas has pioneered solutions to maximise positive impact and support sustainable growth. ClimateSeed – as BNP Paribas’ first social business orientated on climate action – is an example of this innovation that services to progress climate solutions towards a low carbon economy. New approaches to the energy transition require embracing collaborative business models, and we are proud to be recognised by EFMA for this award.”
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Press Contacts:
Sarisher Mann (UK) +44 20 7595 8150 Sarisher.Mann [at] uk.bnpparibas (dot) com
Arnaud Fraboul (France) +33 1 42 98 23 75 Arnaud.fraboul [at] bnpparibas (dot) com
BNP Paribas is a leading bank in Europe with an international reach. It has a presence in 72 countries, with more than 202,000 employees, of which more than 154,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main activities: Domestic Markets and International Financial Services (whose retail-banking networks and financial services are covered by Retail Banking & Services) and Corporate & Institutional Banking, which serves two client franchises: corporate clients and institutional investors. The Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, the Group has four domestic markets (Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg) and BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the European leader in consumer lending. BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated retail-banking model in Mediterranean countries, in Turkey, in Eastern Europe and a large network in the western part of the United States. In its Corporate & Institutional Banking and International Financial Services activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific.
ClimateSeed is the first Social Business launched by BNP Paribas and supported by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof. Yunus - reinvesting 100% of its profits in environmental projects. ClimateSeed offers a "climate-action" digital platform that allows organisations to offset their CO2 emissions by supporting sustainable projects. All projects preserve the planet and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN. ClimateSeed provides a wide range of internationally certified projects including reforestation, energy efficiency, renewables, household devices, water and waste management in more than 20 countries. It has digital tools to engage stakeholders and mobilise business decision-makers in contributing to the ecological transition. ClimateSeed provides a simple, transparent, and secure solution for organisations to take climate action for the unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions of their business activity, products and services, investment portfolios, buildings, trips and events.
As a global not-for-profit organization, Efma brings together more than 3,300 retail financial services companies from over 130 countries. With a membership base consisting of almost a third of all largest retail banks worldwide, Efma has proven to be a valuable resource for the global industry, offering members exclusive access to a multitude of resources, databases, studies, articles, news feeds and publications. Efma also provides numerous networking opportunities through working groups, online communities, and international meetings.
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions—underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network—Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders.