As “Go Green” initiative Gains Momentum

As part of its corporate social responsibilities and “green revolution” initiatives, Standard Chartered Bank, one of the leading and most innovative financial institutions in the Gambia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Forestry and Environment, last Saturday 22nd August 2009, planted 30,000 trees for its customers who open an account with them, under the bank’s Go Green campaign, at the Kabafita Forest Park in Kombo East.

The bank also planted five trees for every SCB African staff in order to further contribute to the Gambia’s reforestation campaign.

Speaking to journalists during the planting exercise, the bank’s Managing Director and CEO, Mr. Humphery Mukwereza told reporters that SCB’s environmental agenda in the country was aligned to the prevailing external agenda.

According to the SCB boss, conscious of the fact that reforestation was critical for its own ecotourism initiatives and local industries; they have the initiative at the top of their agenda.

He further told reporters that the Gambia government’s tree-planting initiative has been widely and actively supported by the media and civil society.

He said SCB Gambia will continue its “green revolution” by introducing another new innovative product into the market by launching its SCB “plant –a-trees”. He noted that the ‘Go green campaign’ has recorded an average of over 320 new accounts in a month.

For every account opened, he went on, SCB will plant a tree for its new customers in the Kabifita Forest. He added that the new product clearly leans heavily on its environmental campaign, but also aligns the bank with another government agenda.

This latest planting of trees, he stated, brings the total number of trees planted by SCB in the Gambia to 46,000 nationwide.

David Mansaray, the Chief Finance Officer and Environment Champion, said “as the right partner, Standard Chartered Bank Gambia aims to positively contribute to the environment and lead the way in the Gambia’s reforestation campaign”.

For his part, the Director of Forestry, Mr. Jatto Sillah revealed that they have registered continuous success in tree-planting exercises, noting that the importance of the forest cannot be over-emphasised. He urged other institutions to emulate SCB in preserving the flora fauna.

The Forestry boss also warned forest intruders to desist from the practice, while commending the bank for their good initiative, describing it as a corporate response.

Speaking on behalf of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Borry Colley called on other institutions to emulate Standard Chartered Bank, while imploring the National Assembly Select Committee on Environment, to come up with a legislation that would ensure that everyone plants a tree.