first direct receives Carbon Trust Standard

first direct has become the first bank to receive the Carbon Trust Standard after reducing its carbon emissions by over 14% which equates to an annual reduction of 1500 tonnes of CO2 from 2007 levels.

The Carbon Trust Standard is the world's first carbon award that requires an organisation to measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint and actually make real reductions year-on-year. Unlike other award schemes, organisations are rewarded for actions they've taken to cut carbon across their own operations.

first direct has been working with the Carbon Trust since 2006 and has introduced a range of low and no cost measures to significantly reduce carbon emissions. For example, the bank has introduced a Night-watchman programme to all PCs at its Leeds and Hamilton offices. The programme shuts down any PC and monitor that is not logged-on after 7pm each night.

Getting employees on board with saving energy has been central to first direct's strategy. The bank introduced a green travel plan, which encourages employees to travel to work in a more environmentally friendly way. first direct runs dedicated shuttle bus services from Leeds train station to the office, meaning over 200 people a day choose to leave their car at home and opt for the shuttle bus and public transport instead. The bank has also put in place a car-sharing scheme, currently used by over 70 people a day.

first direct also worked with local schools to encourage employees to recycle. Local schoolchildren designed colourful posters for the offices, telling staff to ‘Recycle it Right' and make sure they put the right waste in the correct box. The initiative reduced the rejection rate from one in five collections to zero.

In its Leeds office, first direct has installed solar panels that produce enough energy to heat the bank's onsite crèche, which caters for over 350 children and is the largest of its kind in the UK.

Matt Colebrook, Chief Executive of first direct, commented: "We're delighted to have received this award from the Carbon Trust Standard in recognition of all the work we have been doing to reduce our impact on the environment. It makes good business sense to reduce our carbon emissions as we are achieving energy cost savings of around £200,000 each year. These saving have meant that we can become even more sustainable by reinvesting in further carbon reduction initiatives."

Harry Morrison, General Manager of the Carbon Trust Standard, commented: "Being awarded the Carbon Trust Standard is proof an organisation has taken genuine action to reduce their direct impact on climate change by cutting carbon emissions. first direct's achievement is testament to the level of cost savings possible through simple energy efficiency measures. In the current climate, every business should be asking how much cash their company can save, and looking at ways they can follow first direct's lead in getting employees on board in their carbon cutting initiatives."