Lower carbon footprint at HSBC

This is additional to a further circa 16% reduction achieved in the previous 3 years.

HSBC continued to maintain these positive results by investing in cutting edge technology through its €8 million branch refurbishment programme, by revamping its Valletta Head Office which was inaugurated in January 2011, and by the installation of other energy saving technologies.

The major single property contributing to this achievement was the Bank's Operations Centre in Ħal Qormi where a nearly 7% energy reduction was achieved.  Initiatives taken at the Centre included completely refurbishing the staff canteen, integrating new inverter drive air-conditioning units, a Building Management System (BMS), controlling A/C operation and temperature ranges, together with intelligent sun shading cutting solar heat within the building in the warm seasons, whilst permitting maximum heat gain and natural lighting in the colder months.

Other initiatives at the Centre included a complete re-think of the night lighting cutting energy use by over 8,000 kWh, as well as improved management of electrical equipment by the BMS.

HSBC also replaced all of its 700 halogen lamps with LED equivalents.  The selected LED lamps are 5-times more energy efficient, and have a 5 fold increase in extended life expectancy. This also cuts down on travel to replace lamps and reduces waste.  Unlike fluorescent lamps, LED lamps are also free from toxic gases and harmful mercury.

HSBC invested heavily in its new Head Office in Valletta, installing LED lighting wherever possible, energy recovery ventilators and inverter drives on all of its A/Cs and the lift.

Apart from the standard automated controls on air-conditioning and lighting, BMS features were also extended to control water heater operating hours as well as office cooling by auto switching-off air-conditioning when windows are opened, thus encouraging free cooling.  Much of these energy conserving features were also integrated at the Mosta and Birkirkara branches which were completely revamped during 2011.

A Bank-wide survey of all night lighting resulted in a further reduction of 17,000kWh of lighting. HSBC makes full use of its storm water reservoirs, utilizing 950,000 litres of second class water for WCs.

The bank took a stand to refrain from utilizing water extracted from the water table, in view of reported over-extraction of this resource resulting in the serious decline in the quality of our aquifers.  It is also actively looking at public or private disused storm water reservoirs which may be utilised to meet its 2^nd class water demand.

Philip Farrugia, the bank's Chief Technology & Services Officer, said "HSBC leaves no stone unturned to make the Bank more sustainable. In 2011, HSBC Malta reported a very good energy utilsation factor of c. 4,000 kWh per staff member which is nearly 33% below the HSBC Group average. This is encouraging and all down to the efforts of our local staff."

Ranjit Gokarn, the incoming Chief Operating Officer for HSBC Bank Malta plc, who will take over upon Mr. Farrugia's imminent retirement agreed that HSBC Bank Malta had been leading from the front on matters of Sustainability and that he looked forward to developing initiatives that would build upon this good work.

In continuation of this theme, Gokarn said, "HSBC will embark on a number of other exciting initiatives including the installation of the first hybrid air-conditioning system and an upgrade of the Operations Centre's intelligent lighting."