Jaen’s Operational Centre has recently joined this certification and, within the bank’s Environmental Management Plan 2017-2020, it is expected to extend its scope to nine certified buildings.
This environmental management system is applicable to all Unicaja Banco activities, products and services which interact or may interact with the environment.
Unicaja Banco, after the favorable audit carried out by the company DNV GL, has renewed and adapted the environmental management quality certificate to the new version of the international standard UNE-EN ISO 14001, in order to reaffirm and strengthen its commitment to sustainable development. It has also extended to Jaen Operational Center the scope of this certification, which covered so far seven corporate buildings.
Within the bank’s Environmental Management Plan 2017-2020, it is expected to extend the scope to cover nine corporate buildings, as the standard can be applied to all Unicaja Banco activities, products and services which interact or may interact with the environment.
This certification recognizes Unicaja Banco’s long-term commitment to the continual improvement of its environmental behavior, in line with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy.
The completed renewal and adaptation, as well as the extension of the certificate to Jaen center, demonstrate Unicaja Banco’s sensitivity and respect to the environment, as well as its commitment to reduce its environmental impact and its contribution to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), especially those related to Goal 13 on climate action.
The implementation of this management system in the bank shows Unicaja Banco’s search for the balance between the environment and the economic and social development, as well as its commitment to environmental protection, included in the prevention of pollution and compliance with the legal requirements on this matter.
The update of the ISO 14001 standard incorporates new requirements which involve improvements for organizations, such as the development of a greater alignment of management systems with Unicaja Banco’s general strategy, knowing and analyzing the context where its activities are implemented. Also, the new standard incorporates a risk-based approach, which allows the top management to know and deal efficiently with its risks and opportunities.
Additionally, Unicaja Banco may find new lines to implement actions for the continual improvement not only of environmental aspects subject to direct control, but also of those aspects where it may have an influence, such as climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.
Efficient environmental management system
The UNE-EN ISO 14001 certification standard for the Environmental Management System, published in 2015, indicates that the financial institution has established an efficient system which allows for the correct management of waste, cost reduction due to energy use optimization, legal risk reduction and for the systematic monitoring of environmental aspects related, inter alia, to natural resource consumption (wood, water and energy) and environmental nuisance (noise).
The Environmental Management System, extended until 2021, is applicable to all Unicaja Banco activities, products and services that interact or may interact with the environment in the buildings within its scope: the headquarters in Avenida de Andalucía, Eurocom building, main branch and ground and first floor of Acera de la Marina building, all of them in the city of Málaga; the Data Processing Center in Ronda, the Logistic Center in Humilladero and the Operational Centers in Antequera, Cadiz and Jaen.
The principles defined in Unicaja Banco’s environmental policy have been disclosed to the bank’s staff and customers, through the corporate website (www.unicajabanco.com), and also to its providers, who are required, in the approval process, to adhere to a series of guidelines on environmental respect actions.
