Thanks to its “Greening IT” programme, BNP Paribas shows its commitment to the process of making IT greener. It was launched in September 2007 by BNP Paribas’ Centre for Innovation and Technology (CIT). The Centre was set up in 2004 with the objective of creating value by means of innovation for IT and other specialized services within the Bank.

Within the overall framework of “Greening IT”, CIT’s aim is to make IT within the Group more ecological. To achieve that, it works in close cooperation with the Group’s Sustainable Development Department and makes use of an extensive network covering entities and individuals both within and beyond the company -for example, its partners such as: IBM, HP, Microsoft, Sun, and Computer Associates. L’Atelier, a centre within BNP Paribas for monitoring and analysing new technologies, enriches the observation work of CIT, in particular with its information gathering unit in Silicon Valley in the USA.

The challenge is an important one, since IT is a vital engine of growth and development at the Bank. The financial sector is the largest consumer of IT.

CIT’s initiatives are arranged around four main axes:

Adopting standards and obtaining certifications means having reliable indicators, being always up to date with good practices in the field, and even improving on them with the Green Datacenter (a specialized web hosting service for servers). Moreover, CIT engages with purchasing managers in order that they should take environmental considerations more into account in their purchasing decisions, notably by integrating EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) and standards ISO 14001 and DEEE (electrical and electronic equipment waste) into the purchasing process. CIT is also working to obtain HQE (High Quality Environmental) certifications.

Methods and processes for making IT use more green are applied to Datacenters in particular. The high cost of electricity linked to a constant increase in consumption by Datacenters has prompted BNP Paribas to buy more efficient servers, to consider new methods of air conditioning, as well as to equip some datacenters with solar panels. To rationalize energy consumption, a solution called Nightwatch, which can switch PCs off and on at a distance, has been adopted by BNP Paribas in London, generating EUR 190,000 in savings for 4,000 workstations. Another example, the Print Services project, optimises printing and thus reduces consumption of consumables and printers. It encourages the use of more efficient materials (bigger cartridges, less electricity consumption) and the adoption of new practices such as interconnecting printers and recto-verso printing.

Services and solutions help the Bank to take into account the environmental impact of its activities and to generate substantial savings. It should be pointed out that, looking at the Bank’s carbon balance sheet, 64% of greenhouse gases are caused by business travel, 21% by journeys to and from work, and “only” 15% by energy consumption and IT. Encouraging collaborative work by using tools such as video-conferencing and virtual interaction reduces pollution and generates savings. The Bank also makes use of infrastructure virtualisation, whereby several systems are installed on the same machine. This technique means that it is no longer necessary to multiply the number of machines. Several systems can be launched at the same time, thus saving space in the server rooms, making cost savings and facilitating data management. Several other current developments could be mentioned: reviewing printing materials and associated working practices, making use of renewable energies such as using photovoltaic cells, etc.

Awareness and communication: the challenges facing Greeening IT both within the Group and beyond encourages the development of the policy. Concrete programmes are carried out: setting up a “Green Team”, creating a federation that draws on a community of interest in “Green Tech” among the Group’s employees, the creation of a green logo to be attached to all infrastructures meeting pre-defined environmental criteria, particular events such as the “Second Life PC” for recycling more than 200 BNP Paribas computers by making them available to organizations such as “Emmaüs”, “Restos du Cœur”, Catholic Aid or “ADIE” (Association for the right to economic initiatives). These old computers were provided with XP and Office licences with the help of the MAR programme (Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher): new keyboards and mice were given free of charge by Dell.

The Greening IT programme at BNP Paribas involves all the entities of the Bank and is part of a global policy of responsible commitment undertaken by the Group.