HSBC Phils: Breeding environment warriors

In July 2008, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. (HSBC) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF Philippines) launched Project Eco-Kids to educate public elementary school students about climate change and practical solutions they can adopt in their daily lives to help address it.

HSBC tapped volunteers from within its ranks, and WWF Philippines pro-environment activists acted as trainors and facilitators.

HSBC vice president and Group Communications head Johanna Garcia said that the global financial institution wants to teach a generation of Filipinos to care about the earth they will inherit.

“And by teaching the kids about climate change, our employees are also transformed into champions of the environment,” Garcia added.

Project Eco-Kids program consists of four modules. The first module, Climate Change, teaches children about the causes and effects of climate change and how human activity can contribute both to speeding it up or slowing it down. The second module, Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy, teaches children practical energy-saving solutions and explains the different types of renewable energy. 

The third module, Waste Management, encourages students to practice the 3R’s: reduce, reuse, and recycle. The fourth module, Lessons Learned, serves as the culmination of the three modules.

Students have the opportunity to share what they have learned, as well as what they have done in response to this environmental issue. The program thus simplifies the concepts and makes them easy for children to understand.

Depending on the size of the school, anywhere from 15 to 50 of HSBC’s staff volunteers visit various public elementary schools once a week. Together with WWF facilitators, they teach the hour-long modules to up to a hundred nine-year olds. 

“The program uses innovative and kid-friendly teaching methods such as arts and crafts, role-playing, writing, puppet shows, and group activities to make the learning sessions exciting and engaging,” Garcia said. The program also uses creative, colorful teaching materials such as scale models, posters, and a Filipino workbook called “Kid, panahon na!”

Endorsed by the Department of Education, the program has been rolled out in 15 Metro Manila public schools, benefiting over 3,500 third-graders from all over Metro Manila. According to Garcia, HSBC plans to reach 10,000 students through Project Eco-Kids by March 2009.

The program was launched as part of HSBC’s local initiative, The HSBC Climate Partnership: Red, White & Green. Objectives include reducing HSBC’s carbon emissions in the Philippines, educating the youth on climate change issues and practical solutions, and mobilizing the HSBC workforce to be “climate champions.”

The local initiative was developed, in turn, to support the global HSBC Climate Partnership, a five-year $100-million program developed by the HSBC Group together with five major environmental organizations to reduce the impacts of climate change.“

HSBC has always been a pioneer in the area of environmental issues and fighting climate change,” Garcia said. “We were the first global financial institution to go carbon-neutral and all our offices are tasked to reduce our carbon emissions by at least five percent a year.”

HSBC also mounts internal activities regularly to further promote their employees’ awareness of environmental issues.

Aside from environmental holidays, such as World Environment Day and Earth Day, HSBC Philippines developed internal ‘environmental holidays.

In May last year, the bank held Global Warming Day, shutting down the office and branch air conditioners an hour earlier than usual. Employees who felt the heat were treated to free ice cream, while WWF volunteers stood by to offer free carbon footprint testing to interested bank staffers.

Last October, the bank held World Wildlife Week, culminating in a wildlife-themed Halloween trick-or-treat activity and party for the children of HSBC employees.

According to Garcia, the bank’s volunteer programs and other corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives result in a win-win situation.

“In addition to strengthening our brand and our relationships with the local community, our programs improve employee morale, engagement and retention. They appeal to our primarily young, idealistic and passionate workforce, most of whom want the opportunity to make a difference. They take a great deal of pride in being part of an institution that believes in giving back to the community,” she added.