With sustainability at its core – how Ekobanken is driving change
Ekobanken is a Swedish member-owned bank that sets itself apart from traditional major banks through its focus on ethics, sustainability, and complete transparency. Ekobanken’s core philosophy is that money should be a tool for creating positive value in society rather than merely generating profit. Read more about Ekobanken’s 20-year partnership with ZeroMission !
The partnership between ZeroMission Ekobanken goes back a long way—in fact, all the way to when ZeroMission in 2006—and is based on a shared vision that the business community and the financial sector must take concrete responsibility for the climate. This is what makes Ekobanken unique as a bank.
We spoke with Maria Åhlander, CEO of Ekobanken, to learn more about their sustainability efforts.
"A lot of it is also about sending a message and the value of inspiring others. Don't expect to be able to do everything at once, but everyone can do something," Maria Åhlander, CEO of Ekobanken, tells ZeroMission.
What drives Ekobanken?
From the very beginning, Ekobanken decided that people, the planet, and well-being should be at the heart of its business model. That is why we exist. We use money as a positive force in society—you could say as an enabler of good initiatives.
Transparency is also key. We want to let you know what your money is doing while it’s in the bank, because money is never neutral. It always contributes to something. We therefore want to ensure that what it contributes to is something positive.
In what ways has the partnership with ZeroMission climate financing made a difference for Ekobanken?
Ekobanken was actually the first bank in Sweden to begin carbon offset emissions in 2006, covering both business and commuting travel. It has made a difference. We always track trips made using various modes of transportation within the organization, including both business and commuting trips. Climate financing provides guidance by highlighting our emissions.
We also conduct an annual review in which we present the status of our climate impact, highlighting what has increased and what has decreased. We do this to engage and inspire our employees. We also report on the progress made in the climate project over the past year—that is, the project we have chosen to fund.
Ekobanken has been supporting climate finance by purchasing carbon credits from the Scolel'te project—the same project—in Mexico since 2006.
How did Ekobanken come to the decision to start carbon offset?
We have always been committed to reducing our environmental impact. That is our goal—both from a climate perspective and in terms of other negative impacts. For the emissions we cannot eliminate through reduction, we use carbon offsetting adds value. That is why we have always supported projects that are holistically sustainable, thereby increasing our positive impact.
We have actually been funding the same project since 2006 (Scolel’te in Mexico). In recent years, we have also chosen to add a Fairtrade. We chose these specific projects because there was a strong connection to the cooperative and to the people involved in the project.
What would you say to managers who are struggling to figure out how to approach their sustainability efforts?
I believe there’s a lot to be said for realizing that everything you do has an impact, even in your personal life. I would say, especially to those who aren’t committed to sustainability, that they should think about what kind of world they actually want to live in. Look at the small things you can do. A lot of it is also about setting an example and the value of inspiring others. Don’t expect to be able to do everything at once, but everyone can do something.
