Key Performance Indicator GRI SRS-301-1: Materials used
The reporting organization shall report the following information:
a. Total weight or volume of materials that are used to produce and package the organization’s primary products and services during the reporting period, by:
i. non-renewable materials used;
ii. renewable materials used.
The material used most by OLB is paper. Several individual measures were or are implemented by the Bank in the course of its end-to-end digitalisation effort in order to reduce the Bank’s paper consumption. This includes a digital provision of salary statements for employees, a complete digitalisation of the credit process, from application to approval, the offer to provide an electronic mailbox, instead of hardcopy letters in client communication and the change of the classic fax receipt to modern fax to mail options.
In 2020, OLB consumed a total of 190 tonnes (t) of paper, 29 % of which was made of recycling paper. After 235.9 t in the year 2016, this marks a reduction by 19 % within four years. Paper of responsible sources is used exclusively for producing the printed financial reports and such are printed in a climate-neutral manner. The required number of copies is critically verified each year and has been showing a declining trend for years.
Key Performance Indicator GRI SRS-302-1: Energy consumption
The reporting organization shall report the following information:
a. Total fuel consumption within the organization from non-renewable sources, in joules or multiples, and including fuel types used.
b. Total fuel consumption within the organization from renewable sources, in joules or multiples, and including fuel types used.
c. In joules, watt-hours or multiples, the total:
i. electricity consumption
ii. heating consumption
iii. cooling consumption
iv. steam consumption
d. In joules, watt-hours or multiples, the total:
i. electricity sold
ii. heating sold
iii. cooling sold
iv. steam sold
e. Total energy consumption within the organization, in joules or multiples.
f. Standards, methodologies, assumptions, and/or calculation tools used.
g. Source of the conversion factors used.
Re a. and b.
OLB consumes in its capacity as a financial services provider no fuel for its direct value-adding processes. Any fuel consumed for business trips is not recorded. Alternatively, OLB records the mileage travelled by its employees during business trips and uses that figure as the basis for calculating the greenhouse emissions (see performance indicators on criterion 13).
Re c.
In the year 2020, OLB consumed 7,270,184 kilo watt hours (kWh) of electricity. This marks a reduction of 14.5 % compared to the figure of 8,501,013 kWh consumed in the year 2019 and could be achieved by closing branches and thanks to the higher use of mobile work caused by the pandemic. OLB covers 100 % of its need for electricity by certified electricity generated from water power.
In 2020, its heating energy consumption amounted to 8,730,149 kWh. This figure stood at 8,501,013 kWh in 2019. Reason for the increase were the new locations in Bremen and Ludwigsburg. OLB used 100 % of natural gas for heating energy.
Re d.
Not applicable.
Re e.
The entire energy consumption of OLB, i.e. the sum of electricity and heating energy consumed amounted to 16,000,333 kWh or 57,601,199 megajoules (MJ) in 2020.
Re f. and g.
Disclosures made by OLB are based on statements submitted by its energy providers and it uses the key data sheet of the Verein für Umweltmanagement und Nachhaltigkeit in Finanzinstituten e.V. (VfU – Association for Environmental Management and Sustainability for Financial Institutions, registered association) for its calculations.
Key Performance Indicator GRI SRS-302-4: Reduction of energy consumption
The reporting organization shall report the following information:
a. Amount of reductions in energy consumption achieved as a direct result of conservation and efficiency initiatives, in joules or multiples.
b. Types of energy included in the reductions; whether fuel, electricity, heating, cooling, steam, or all.
c. Basis for calculating reductions in energy consumption, such as base year or baseline, including the rationale for choosing it.
d. Standards, methodologies, assumptions, and/or calculation tools used.
The scope of reduction of its energy consumption which resulted as a direct consequence of the manifold initiatives conducted by the Bank for saving energy cannot be determine exactly.
Reasons are, on the one hand, that the consumption of heating energy is predominantly subject to fluctuations caused by the weather conditions and is thus outside of our sphere of influence. On the other hand, the merger of Bremer Kreditbank AG and of Bankhaus Neelmeyer AG with OLB which occurred in the year 2018 and the merger of Wüstenrot Bank AG Pfandbriefbank with OLB in 2019 make it hard to compare the figures of these years with those of the previous years.
Key Performance Indicator GRI SRS-303-3: Water withdrawal
The reporting organization shall report the following information:
a. Total water withdrawal from all areas in megaliters, and a breakdown of this total by the following sources, if applicable:
i. Surface water;
ii. Groundwater;
iii. Seawater;
iv. Produced water;
v. Third-party water.
b. Total water withdrawal from all areas with water stress in megaliters, and a breakdown of this total by the following sources, if applicable:
i. Surface water;
ii. Groundwater;
iii. Seawater;
iv. Produced water;
v. Third-party water, and a breakdown of this total by the withdrawal sources listed in i-iv.
c. A breakdown of total water withdrawal from each of the sources listed in Disclosures 303-3-a and 303-3-b in megaliters by the following categories:
i. Freshwater (≤1,000 mg/L Total Dissolved Solids);
ii. Other water (>1,000 mg/L Total Dissolved Solids).
d. Any contextual information necessary to understand how the data have been compiled, such as any standards, methodologies, and assumptions used.
Re a.
The relative need for water has been fluctuating in the Bank for years between 6 and 7 cubic meters (m³) per employee, depending on the number of employees. In 2020, the water consumption amounted to 12,536 m³ or 12.536 mega litres (ML) after 14,191 m³ or 14,191 ML in the year 2019, which is a decline by 11.6 %. According to information obtained from our essential water supplier, the water comes to 100 % from groundwater resources.
Re. b.
The Bank is not aware that any water is withdrawn from regions with water stress.
Re c.
The quantity of water withdrawn as specified under 303-3-a comprises sweet water by up to 100 %.
Re. d.
OLB’s disclosures are based on the statements submitted by its water suppliers.
Key Performance Indicator GRI SRS-306-2: Waste
The reporting organization shall report the following information:
a. Total weight of hazardous waste, with a breakdown by the following disposal methods where applicable:
i. Reuse
ii. Recycling
iii. Composting
iv. Recovery, including energy recovery
v. Incineration (mass burn)
vi. Deep well injection
vii. Landfill
viii. On-site storage
ix. Other (to be specified by the organization)
b. Total weight of non-hazardous waste, with a breakdown by the following disposal methods where applicable:
i. Reuse
ii. Recycling
iii. Composting
iv. Recovery, including energy recovery
v. Incineration (mass burn)
vi. Deep well injection
vii. Landfill
iii. On-site storage
ix. Other (to be specified by the organization)
c. How the waste disposal method has been determined:
i. Disposed of directly by the organization, or otherwise directly confirmed
ii. Information provided by the waste disposal contractor
iii. Organizational defaults of the waste disposal contractor
Re a.
Not applicable
Re b.
The total weight of non-hazardous wastes amounted to 494,327 kg in the year 2020. That marks a reduction by 13.46 %. In 2019, the waste quantity stood at 699,063 kg. Main reason for this reduction is the closure of branches and the increasing use of mobile work. Up to 74 % (363 t) of OLB’s waste will be recycled. Almost 26 % (131 t) of the waste is used for incineration.
Re c.
The disclosures made by OLB are based on the information provided by the waste disposal service providers.