Environmental policy

Národná banka Slovenska (NBS), as an institution, takes a responsible approach to the environment. It complies with Slovak legislation and European Commission recommendations on the environment laying down procedures for ecologically sustainable management.

The relocation of the NBS headquarters to the new building on Imricha Karvaša street in Bratislava in 2002 significantly reduced the national bank’s environmental footprint across the board. In terms of the technology used, the new NBS headquarters is considered an intelligent building that meets the highest requirements for operating efficiency, ecology, and quality of the working environment. It was designed to meet the highest standards for environmental performance. The building’s double facade allows for direct natural ventilation of office spaces, while the sunscreens installed on the outer facade prevent the building from overheating. Other essential components of the building’s technology system include ceiling cooling, which reduces the need to supply chilled conditioned air to offices, and optimization of power consumption through the use of cogeneration units with positive effects on the environmental footprint. All technical and power supply functions of the building are managed from a state-of-the-art central control system aimed to save operational costs.

Under its environmental policy, Národná banka Slovenska is committed to continuously enhancing its environmental profile and minimising its ecological footprint. NBS’s environmental policy complies with the environmental policy of the ECB and its overall intention and direction is to raise awareness among all its staff and promote a positive attitude towards the environment and sustainability.

Environmental policy of NBS

Under its environmental policy, NBS aims to:

• express its attitude towards the environment;
• respond to environmental challenges;
• participate in solving environmental issues.

NBS is committed to continuously improving its environmental performance and minimising its ecological footprint by implementing the adopted environmental policy and rigorously adhering to the prevailing Slovak environmental legislation in an effective and economical manner.

NBS’s environmental strategy is based on the following groups of industry-specific priorities set for the entire duration of the policy:

• protection of air quality;
• protection and rational use of water;
• energy efficiency;
• waste management.

In order to implement these priorities, NBS will apply the following principles:

• the principle of sustainability, which allows the needs of current generations to be satisfied without threatening the ability of future generations to satisfy theirs;
• the prevention principle, which means a shift from repairing damages to removing possible causes of accidents and emergencies and minimising their impact;
• the precautionary principle, which means implementing only such measures and procedures that have been credibly proven to have a positive effect on the environment or working conditions;
• the principle of green public procurement, which means minimising negative environmental impact of procured works, goods and services by including environmental criteria in procurement documents.

Objectives of the environmental policy

By setting the objectives of its environmental policy, NBS will continue to:

• enhance the bank’s pro-environmental behaviour;
• support the procurement of energy-efficient and eco-sustainable goods and services;
• require its suppliers to behave pro-environmentally and to comply with safe work procedures.

Long-term objectives of the environmental policy

Protection of air quality

• Reduce CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Limit the use of fully halogenated hydrocarbons and halons.
• Seek new applications of ecological fuels and means of transportation that are not harmful to the environment.
• Ensure systematic and intensive care of green areas in the ownership of NBS.
• Give high preference to the use of paper with a high percentage of recycled content and with ecolabels (PCF, TCF, FSC).

Protection and rational use of water

• Reduce the volume of polluting agents in water discharged into the sewerage system.
• Further decrease the consumption of fresh water by minimising losses in the water supply network and promoting a more rational use of fresh water at points of final consumption.

Energy efficiency

• Reduce the bank’s total energy consumption; monitor electricity consumption and improve energy efficiency in order to remain below five-year average.
• Enhance the availability of all information and sources necessary to achieve the objective of making the bank’s activities less energy demanding.
• Decrease energy consumption by using modern, energy-efficient and effective IT equipment, electronic appliances and devices.

Waste management

• Decrease the overall amount of waste, while focusing on the ecological disposal and recovery of hazardous waste materials.
• Increase waste separation and focus on decreasing the volume of residual waste by reusing and recycling secondary raw materials.
• Minimise the negative impact of waste on the environment.
• Dispose of waste only through specialised companies with proper authorizations.

Short-term objectives of the environmental policy

Protection of air quality

• Support environmentally friendly means of transportation and commuting; promote car sharing, extend bicycle parking.
• Help decrease CO2 emissions by using less air-polluting means of transportation and by increasing the use of teleconferencing, videoconferencing, and teleworking by eligible staff (home office).

Protection and rational use of water

• Take samples of waste water at a quarterly frequency and provide the results of laboratory analysis to the local water company; ensure regular cleaning of oil traps.
• Use only products with built-in water-saving technology when replacing old sanitary fittings.

Energy efficiency

• Actively participate in global and national initiatives to support the environment: World Environment Day, World Car Free Day, Earth Day, Bike to Work, etc.
• Implement intelligent multi-function devices with toner-saving technology when replacing old photocopiers.
• Adjust measurement and regulation systems to upgrade and modernise the systems for managing technological components and equipment while also using them more efficiently.
• Upgrade and modernise old technological devices with high energy consumption and lower energy efficiency; enhance the sustainability of energy consumption by giving preference to LED technology when replacing lighting units.

Waste management

• Implement ecological solutions for the separation and shredding of archive documents.
• Decrease the total consumption of office paper and information materials by giving preference to electronic communication.
• Strengthen the concept of office waste separation.