48% green gas
The switch to primarily renewable energy sources has to be made soon if greenhouse gases are
to be cut majorly and fossil fuel consumption reduced. Rabobank Group has therefore decided
to purchase biogas. The breakdown of organic matter in landfill sites produces raw biogas,
which is upgraded to a quality similar to fossil natural gas and injected into the gas grid.
Throughout the chain, carbon emissions caused by green gas are almost 75% lower than those
caused by natural gas. In 2009,48% of the gas consumed by Rabobank Group was biogas.
Green ICT
Green ICT (environmentally sustainable computing) is a key objective for the years 2009 to 2013.
Unfortunately, growing demand for ICT means it will not be possible to cut direct energy
consumption, although energy can be used more efficiently. Rabobank Group's objective is
to achieve a 20% improvement in the energy efficiency of its data centres and infra services.
During 2009, cooling alleys were installed in the Best data centre, which will result in energy
savings of 2.45 million kWh per year, enough to power 700 homes. A model was developed in
2009 for assessing the energy efficiency of the ICT performance over the next few years.
Sustainable mobility
Rabobank encourages commuting by public transport, reduces traffic congestion by enabling
employees to work in accordance with the 'Unplugged' concept, and is a partner in the Dutch
anti-congestion day. Rabobank Group's total lease mileage (in kilometres) increased by 2% in
2009, while at the local Rabobanks and Rabobank Nederland C02 emissions per kilometre
travelled decreased from 0.176 kilograms to 0.168 kilograms. To minimise emissions from
leased cars, the options for leased car drivers are now limited to the most energy-efficient cars
(energy label A, B or C).
The Dutch Railways Business Card, which has been available to leased car drivers at Rabobank
Nederland and the local Rabobanks since 2007, is still proving popular. In 2009, travel using
this card was up 23% on 2008, landing at 5.4 million train kilometres.
The targets for cutting air travel that should have been formulated in 2009 will now be set in
2010. The total number of flights decreased by 25%.
Sustainable, socially responsible purchasing
The importance of CSR was clarified and further safeguarded in the purchasing processes of
Rabobank Group Purchasing, covering all aspects from order placement to the evaluation of
the result of a particular purchase.
During 2009 a reanalysis was performed of all planned purchases of products and services
in which CSR plays a significant role. This revealed that the CSR purchasing criteria for a
number of products and services needed to be amended. In the context of sustainable chain
management, Rabobank Group Purchasing will pay more attention to the CSR profile of the
parties that supply our direct suppliers, by working through our suppliers. In connection with
this, Rabobank participates in a study into the possibility of introducing a national CSR
certification scheme for production and distribution chains.
Paper consumption
Rabobank Group aims to reduce paper consumption by employees and the amount of
paperwork that clients have to deal with. In the Netherlands, the use of A4-size paper was
33.7 (39.1) kilograms per fte, down 14% compared with 2008. Moreover, the paper we use
has to be FSC-certified, which guarantees that the raw materials from which it is made come
from sustainably managed forests. The amount of paper used in the Netherlands for bank
statements, other documents, giro transfer slips and envelopes was in 2009 3.2 (3.2)
million kilogram.
94
Report 2009 Rabobank Group
