Promote paperless banking: Suri

Stressing on adopting environment friendly practices by financial sector, R K Suri, Director, Union Ministry of Environment & Forests today asked banks to focus on paperless and Internet banking services, instead of branch banking, in order to help reducing carbon footprint.
Addressing the two-day national meet on 'Environment & Corporate Social Responsibility' here, Suri also asked banks to offer incentives by way of cheaper funds for adoption of green technologies by industries.
"Banks can adopt green practices such as - paperless services, eco-friendly initiatives like Internet banking/mobile banking, encouraging online banking instead of branch banking and can help reduce carbon footprint," he said.

"We can also work to reduce the usage of resources such as paper, stationery, vouchers, cheque leaves thereby aiding in environmental protection," Suri said.
Speaking on this occasion, IDBI Deputy Managing Director B K Batra said that the bank had embarked on many green banking initiatives to help protect environment.
"Green banking is comparatively a new development in the financial world in India...IDBI Bank has realised this long ago and we have taken several steps towards the same by going paperless, electronic mode dispatch of documents to the shareholders," Batra said.

He said that the bank had set up a new office in Mumbai which was an eco-friendly bank office, having energy efficient lifts, LED lamps, sound proof diesel generator sets.

"We have been providing financial assistance for Renewable Energy projects as part of Government of India's National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC). We are the first among public sector banks to have entered into Carbon Credit business by setting up an exclusive cell providing technical and commercial services to Clean Desk Mechanism (CDM) projects", Batra said.
Speaking about CSR initiatives, Batra said a CSR committee of the Board has been recently constituted and special emphasis accorded to balanced spatial distribution aimed at sustained improvement of marginalised sections of the society.