PIB ‘Best Environment Friendly Bank in Palestine for the Year 2019’
Palestine Islamic Bank won the award for Best Environment Friendly Bank in Palestine for the year 2019; an award granted by International Finance Magazine, issued in Britain.
PIB General Manager, Bayan Qassem, said that this award has motivated the Bank to move forward in increasing reliance on clean energy to perform its activities, and support the activities and institutions concerned with preserving the environment. Also, the Bank’s reliance on clean energy is consistent with its recent accession to the Global Compact for Sustainable Development, which is one of the initiatives launched by the United Nations to encourage companies worldwide to adopt socially responsible and sustainable policies in the field of human rights, labor and the environment.
Furthermore, Qassem stated that the Bank is preserving the environment by relying on a solar energy system that operates computer systems, lighting and ATM’s in 15 of its branches and offices. The Bank has also replaced all lighting objects and energy-consuming devices, such as printers and air conditioners with other energy-saving devices. Additionally, the Bank is keen on educating employees on saving and rationalizing energy consumption. Qassem added that: “Digitizing and enhancing the Bank’s electronic services contributes to the reduction in the volume of consumed paperwork, thus protecting the environment.”
It should also be noted that the Bank’s average annual production of electricity through solar energy is equivalent to 600 megawatts; which contributes to reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions and other harmful gases that result from operating power generators.
The specialized International Financial Magazine grants awards to distinguished institutions and companies in many fields, including the banking sector, oil and gas, real estate and communications; after conducting thorough studies on the work and achievements of each institution, according to specialty. Whereas said studies are conducted by an assessment team made up of members with expertise in the field of specialization.