Sustainability at VP Bank: Responsibility in action
"For VP Bank Group, living responsibility towards interest groups and the environment is an essential factor in responsible entrepreneurial activity," emphasises Dr. Felix Brill, Chief Investment Officer and Chairman of the CSR Board of VP Bank Group.
Partnership with "DRINK&DONATE" extended for another three years
Under the motto "Drink tap water, donate drinking water", VP Bank in Liechtenstein has been committed since 2017 to the non-profit association "DRINK&DONATE", which promotes the consumption of tap water instead of bottled water that is transported by road. The partnership has now been extended by three years until the end of 2022. VP Bank's annual donations are used to finance drinking water projects that give needy people in developing countries access to clean drinking water.
Ecologically and socially sensible: donating furniture instead of throwing it away
In 2018, VP Bank launched an extensive reconstruction project at its headquarters in Vaduz/Liechtenstein. In order to adapt to the newly designed room layout, the entire location was completely refurnished. The fact that used furniture can be ecologically and socially recycled is demonstrated by the initiative of VP Bank in cooperation with the Order of Malta that helps people in need through its medical, social and humanitarian work. A large part of the well-preserved and fully functional office furniture such as cupboards, tables and chairs were donated to the Order. The furniture was loaded in Liechtenstein and transported by truck to Slovakia. There they were used to furnish social institutions, schools and hospitals. With the furniture donation a contribution could be made to the garbage reduction and at the same time charitable organisations were supported, which do not have financial means for the acquisition of new furniture.
Investments to increase the electricity yield from solar energy
VP Bank Group relies on numerous initiatives for the responsible use of energy. For example, 24 years ago, a photovoltaic system was installed on the roof of the building at VP Bank's headquarters in Vaduz, providing environmentally friendly energy for the bank's network. This year, a further system was installed on the roof of the main building and the administration building. Work on this new photovoltaic system is in full swing and will be completed at the beginning of 2020. Further investments in solar energy will increase the expected electricity yield through in-house production to around 200,000 kWh of electricity per year. This corresponds to the consumption of 35 single-family houses with a 4-person household.
Living responsibility at all locations
Due to the geographical situation, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) are faced with a multitude of serious sustainability challenges, in particular the threat to the highly sensitive groundwater and marine ecosystems. With its location on the BVI, VP Bank is a pioneer in the "Green VI" initiative, which advocates a greener, cleaner and more responsible approach to the environment on the islands. As part of its commitment to "Green VI", VP Bank (BVI) Ltd was recently trained and certified on the subject of recycling at the workplace and in the private sphere. With its commitment to the environment, VP Bank is helping to raise awareness of sustainable future development among the population of BVI.
"I am firmly convinced that companies that carefully handle our limited natural resources and actively assume their responsibility for society, the economy and the environment on a daily basis are better positioned for the future," is how Dr Felix Brill explains VP Bank's special commitment to sustainability.
Further information on the sustainable activities of VP Bank can be found on the VP Bank website under "About us - Responsibility - Sustainability".
