9.3. Other Environmental Aspects
Responsible Water Consumption
Although our sector does not represent large water consumption compared to other industries and sectors, we know that the water resource is indispensable for life, so within our facilities we are constantly monitoring water consumption and implement saving initiatives as part of our environmental commitment, we have installed fluxmeters and energy e cient faucets in the bathrooms of our buildings and agencies.
*The negative signs in the variation represent a reduction, the positive ones represent an increase.
** In Guatemala and Panama water consumption is not included, as these do not appear on the lease receipts.
During 2022 we reduced 65.58% of water consumption at regional level.
We attribute this reduction to the fact that measures against COVID-19 decreased in cleaning tasks.
Materials and Waste Waste Generated at Regional Level
(GRI 306-1, 306-3, 306-4, 306-5)
To leverage the use of waste that cannot be reduced or eliminated, we are advancing in the signing of agreements with certified and accredited suppliers that can ensure a second life through proper management of their recycling. With this we promote a circular economy that has a double benefit: 1) social, achieving new jobs, and 2) environmental, avoiding pollution by not treating those residues.
Our aim is to reduce our waste in general, for this we promote the recycling of paper, electronic waste, and the correct disposal of plastics from credit cards.
During 2022 we recycled 39.80% in paper and 30.38% en electronic waste, more than the previous year.
Funds raised specifically from electronic recycling were donated to the Honduras STEM Foundation, an organization that promotes innovation and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education.
Paper Consumption at a Regional Level
Continuing the digital transition, we are increasingly reducing paper consumption as the main input of financial services companies and continuously generating campaigns internally and externally to reduce consumption. In addition, quarterly we generate a report to monitor the areas or departments that consume paper.
* The negative signs in the variation represent a reduction, the positive ones represent an increase
**In the case of Guatemala this year the total of our employees returned to the o ces and this was reflected in the increase in paper consumption compared to the previous year, where many were teleworking and in the case of Nicaragua, the increase was due to the request from the superintendence of banks in that country requesting physical information from previous years.
Other initiatives on climate change/sustainability
Through corporate volunteering and under the alliance we have for more than 13 years with the Honduran company Larach & Cia we deliver +60k seeds of di erent trees to our customers and employees to contribute to the reforestation of communities.
During 2022 we planted 15,300 trees to reforest the bu er zones surrounding La Tigra National Park in the city of Tegucigalpa and Zapotal village in San Pedro Sula. To date we have planted +63,000 trees.
We delivered environmental educational material to +3.5K children in 20 educational centers near La Tigra National Park, in the city of Tegucigalpa.
During this year we launched the institutional environmental campaign «Together for a green future», which aims to promote, raise awareness, and sensitize on the importance of natural resources and care for the environment; under this initiative in partnership with the Televicentro Corporation (the largest television network in Honduras) we joined the program Plantaton HN, whose purpose goes hand in hand with our environmental strategy.
With the support of our corporate volunteers located in coastal areas of this country we carried out two days of beach cleaning, with which we collected +27,850 pounds in waste, contributing to the care of marine ecosystems.
Throughout the year, at the regional level we promote di erent campaigns on di erent digital platforms, internally and externally, such as energy saving, water saving, paper saving, planet time, among others, reaching more than 653 thousand people.
In Nicaragua, with the support of volunteers, activities were carried out to recycle plastic bottles and a In Nicaragua, with the support of volunteers, activities were carried out to recycle plastic bottles and recycle electronic waste tronic waste recyclethon.
Ficohsa Bank Panama obtained the «Carbon Footprint Inventory» Recognition from the Climate Change Directorate (DCC) of the Ministry of Environment (MiAMBIENTE) of that country, responsible for the Reduce Your Corporate-Carbon Footprint program.
This program establishes a standardized process to identify, calculate, report and verify the carbon and water footprint within the limits of public, private and civil society organizations.