Finance on the threshold of a new revolution

"Business as usual" in finance seems far removed from environmental and climate considerations. However, behind the scenes, the financial sector is going through a period of profound changes linked to the ecological transition. This may seem surprising since it is not forced to review its manufacturing process as is the case in other industries or to use more ecological materials as in construction (see our article). In this digitalized and immaterial sector, the first approach consisted mainly in acting on the carbon and energy footprint of the premises occupied by the companies. With actions that were initially isolated and then structured to lead to a coherent and more effective plan.

"We started installing photovoltaic panels on our site in Howald in 2009", says Régis Heil, Head of Facility Management at Banque de Luxembourg. This department manages buildings, security, IT workstations and documentation management (printing and archiving) – all key areas for the ecological transition. "Since the department was set up in 2012, we have managed energy and buildings in a 'prudent manner' and considered small actions that could be taken to optimise energy consumption. In 2019, we launched our 'Environmental Action Plan'. Between 2019 and 2022, we will have invested 2 million euros in reducing our carbon footprint."