Atiur tells BIBM workshop

The Bangladesh Bank is mulling some incentives for the banks which would go for green financing and those would be considered as their corporate social responsibility (CSR), said the central bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman.

He also called upon the bankers to finance more in environment-friendly projects and go green in their in-house operations.

“Greening of mind first is a pre-requisite to green financing,” Atiur said while inaugurating a workshop for the bankers on “Policy and Strategy of Green Banking in Bangladesh” at Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) auditorium in the capital yesterday.

According to CSR guidelines issued by the BB, financing to effluent treatment plants (ETP) has already been included to its as CSR, Governor told bankers who gathered for preparing a regulatory framework for green banking.

“We’re trying out a participatory monetary policy that would ensure financial inclusion like people’s access to finance and green banking is not out of that policy,” said Atiur.

For a faster and steady economic growth, the BB is emphasising on green banking approach for an eco-friendly and sustainable development, Atiur also said adding that the BB is relentlessly working for framing a strategic plan to that end.

This might not be a task for the central banks of developed countries, but these are very crucial for Bangladesh as BB’s main focus is on economic development, he further added.

“Our all activities ultimately tell upon our environment and the BB took some initiatives in this regard as it wants to minimise those environmental hazards,” he also said adding “We’re not only instructing the scheduled banks to introduce energy efficient technologies but we also established a solar panel at BB headquarters.”

“Automation is equally important for the banks in reducing paper uses for a greener environment,” he also told the bankers.

He suggested that banks should seriously keep in mind the environmental issues while financing to any industrial projects.

Former BB Governor and founding chairman of BIBM AKN Ahmed attended the function as special guest. Director of BIBM Ahsan Habib and BB executive director Md Jahangir Alam presented papers on green banking at the workshop presided over by BIBM director general Toufic Ahmad Choudhury.

Source: Daily Sun