To achieve a high level of sustainability, financial services companies need to focus on two areas: operations and portfolios. Focusing operations can offer quick returns, while paying closer attention to portfolios addresses a broader set of sustainability concerns.

Our webinar this Friday (2/3) covers our full approach to green banking, and in this short blog, we focus on operations, since doing business while being cost-effective is fundamental to any business successful. Even simple operational changes can help banks and credit unions do just that, and companies save on operational costs and reduce environmental impacts by using energy, water, paper and other services or materials more efficiently.

Performance metrics are the underlying fabric of any effective sustainability program. That’s why efforts to achieve operational efficiency should be built from the group up. Focusing on comprehensive building energy efficiency is the most obvious first step, but quick wins can also be found in other areas of sustainability. Having a clear roadmap to guide the strategy is essential to maximize return on investment and direct future goals for the company, and metrics are the anchor of this approach.

Operational efficiency works best when it becomes integrated into regular business practice, and is made easier through strategic communication of goals and efforts to employees and customers. This is because so many decisions about resource use lie in the hand of your employees. Efforts that focus on technical solutions alone will often find that the full benefits efficiency upgrades are not realized.

To get started making these changes at your company:

• Download our case studies
• Register for our webinar
• Contact EcoShift for a consultation