Scotiabank Volunteers Carol Vallee, Operations Manager and Shackema Baptiste proudly unveil their Scotiabank brand as a sign of the ongoing support that Scotiabank has pledged to the Rotary to assist in the completion of the Roger Downing Mangrove Boardwalk as a commemorative project for the 2013 conference.Scotiabank is a presenting platinum sponsor of the conference and as part of its Go-Green regional focus is providing environmentally friendly conference kits to all attendees which include re-usable and bio-degradable tote bags, ecological notebooks and pens made from recyclable materials. Photo: supplied

The event is being held in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), from May 13- 18, 2013 at the H Lavity Stout Community College and will see over 500 Rotarians from across 10 English Speaking Caribbean territories converging in Tortola. Scotiabank as part of its Go-Green regional focus is providing environmentally friendly conference kits which include re-usable and bio-degradable tote bags, ecological notebooks and pens made from recyclable materials.

The Bank, which is a platinum presenting sponsor for the conference has also pledged its support to assist in completing the Roger Downing Mangrove Boardwalk as a commemorative project for the 2013 conference. Last Saturday, a team of Scotiabank volunteers joined forces with other local Rotarians to work on a clean up and facelift project for the Mangrove. The energetic team of volunteers removed several large garbage bags of solid waste and assisted the technical crew in laying planks along the existing concrete pillars. The planks will function as a walkway for persons touring the nature haven. The Boardwalk is a protected area for several species of indigenous wildlife including several local birds.

Scotiabank’s BVI Marketing Manager, Simone Hull said that “ Across the Caribbean, Scotiabank has always demonstrated a heighten level of environmental consciousness through our beach clean- ups, beautification projects and marine life protection programmes. We are also very active with paper and plastic products recycling programmes regionally and internationally.” Ms Hull added that Scotiabank BVI team took a strategic decision to ensure that all the paper products it was presenting for use of the conference were all environmentally friendly, and not only re-usable after the event but originated form recycled material.

Operationally, Scotiabank has embraced several operational changes internationally and regionally which seeks to reduce its carbon footprint and limits its paper, water and energy use. These initiatives, many of which are spearheaded in Canada are replicated in the Caribbean and Central America. Its Environmental Paper Policy, details the Bank's commitment to integrating environmental considerations into its purchasing decisions and has helped establish Scotiabank as a leader in environmentally friendly paper-purchasing practices. The Bank has also introduced biodegradable money bags to replace the original bags made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and measures energy consumption in its operations to keep track of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (carbon footprint).

Scotiabank produces an international environmentally friendly magazine, named “Scotiabank Eco-Living” which highlights various innovations in reducing energy consumption and provides environmental friendly tips for customers and other consumers.