For the third consecutive year, CABEI receives ratification of its Environmental Management certification for its Headquarters building

Tegucigalpa, septiembre 27, 2020. - With the firm commitment to comply with its environmental responsibility and overcoming the challenges of the new normality, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) ratified for the third consecutive year the Certification of the Environmental Management System -EMS- ISO 14001:2015, with zero non-conformities by the certifying entity, something uncommon in this type of process and which demonstrates the maturity achieved by the institution.

The ratification of the ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System Certification was granted after the follow-up audit of this tool, which aims to reduce environmental impacts in the administrative and operational activities carried out in the Headquarters Building.

"This achievement is very significant because it reaffirms our institution's commitment to promote sustainable management, setting an example of coherence between what we promote and what we live, with actions that reflect in practice our Environmental and Social Policy, as well as the Institutional Strategy," said CABEI Executive President, Dr. Dante Mossi.

During this period, the activities were subject to an atypical moment, due to the conditions generated by the pandemic, which caused important changes both in the way of working and in the conditioning of the facilities within strict biosafety standards.

One of the challenges, under these circumstances, was the alignment of the objectives assumed in the EMS that have to do with water consumption, electricity, waste generation and their adjustment during the year, as we learned to live with the pandemic.

In this process, the participation of all the members of the institution has been decisive, especially the support of the top management and the support of each collaborator, who make possible the efficient management of resources by assuming it as a personal and voluntary responsibility.

"We received the news of the renewal of this certification with great joy because it is the fruit of the institutional efforts that have been made constantly. I believe that it has been perseverance that has led us to this new result," commented Vermont collaborator Evelyn López, who considers herself part of this initiative.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT BEYOND BCIE HEADQUARTERS

The certification of the headquarters building as environmentally sustainable is part of CABEI's Environmental and Social Policy, which establishes the guidelines that ensure that the operations financed by the Bank and the operational activities for its own functioning are environmentally and socially sustainable, contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions and the promotion of resilience to climate change.

That is why another challenge within the new work model characterized by teleworking has been the promotion of the experience of environmental commitment beyond the headquarters. That is, to continue with good practices to reduce and mitigate the environmental footprint in any place where each one develops.

"The institutional effort is many years old and leads us to take a personal awareness and, therefore, to apply it in all areas of life, in the workplace, at home and wherever we go. In my house, for example, we take advantage of food waste to make homemade compost for our plants and we have seen the good effects," explained Lopez de Vermont.

The satisfaction of the achievement leads to a period of new challenges in the management of EMS certification, which is very close to extending its scope to the CABEI office in El Salvador, which already has a LEED Gold certification (in energy) and later to its other facilities.

As the project progresses, the challenge remains to meet the 2021 objectives, in order to continue to have a daily impact on the Central American region through a commitment to environmental sustainability.