With a very large footprint all over the Maltese Islands, and one of the largest workforces in Malta, Bank of Valletta is highly aware of its impact on the environment and is constantly making strides in its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

Through an intensive study held some years back, the bank determined the sites viable for the installation of photo-voltaic panels and these have generated over 113,000kWh during 2021 alone. That is the equivalent of the average consumption of over 150 families for a whole month. This is complemented with the adoption of the latest, low consumption technology of lighting and electronic equipment across our offices.

The bank saved over 4,000 cubic metres of water through the collection of rainwater and air-condition condensation. This water is stored in reservoirs built specifically for this purpose and reused to refill the bank's cisterns.

With hybrid cars forming a large part of the bank's car fleet, statistics show a saving of over 2,000 litres of fuel per year, saving over 4,600kgs of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Added to this, around 740kg of electronic waste was disposed of responsibly during 2021.

One of the latest initiatives adopted by the bank is to encourage its staff members to reduce pollution. Staff members who walk, jog or bicycle to work, car-pool or use public transport for 80% of their commuting to work are being rewarded with a monetary donation, besides their self-pride of helping the world we live in.

Although a drop in the ocean, BOV is doing its share in contributing towards reducing its carbon footprint and is encouraging people to adopt a greener lifestyle with the help of green financing products that were introduced during the past years aiming to make people's homes greener and financing lifestyle choices enabling customers to access renewable energy products and energy efficient solutions.

We share this earth and the environment. It hosts us and allows our very existence. Economic growth and environmental protection should work hand in hand as certainly one cannot exist without the other.