Category: INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONSEB Banka (Latvia)

1500 Employees – Ambassadors of Green Ideas

SummarySuccessful achievement of business goals is not possible without well-considered and well-planned internal communication that strengthens employee loyalty, awareness and readiness to participate in the realisation of different ideas. In January 2012, a comprehensive SEB Green Year initiative was launched. The project intended to reduce the impact of each participating employee on the environment, create added value on services and unite the company’s employees throughout Latvia. For the goals of SEB banka to not only be readable, but also visible, a central campaign character was created in the beginning of the SEB Green Year – SEB Green Tree. The campaign was intended as proof that each individual employee, by making a small contribution and getting involved in the general concept together with their colleagues, is able to achieve remarkable results. The unexpectedly large response from all departments and branches in Latvia allowed to implement the green ideas in daily operations by starting paper sorting, electricity and water resource saving, replacing the car fleet with environmentally friendly vehicles, improving the heating systems, and finally receiving the Golden Assessment of Sustainability Index, which indicates that the company is one of the most sustainable ones in Latvia.

SituationOrganisations often adopt various strategically important documents that do not reach the deaf ears of employees. Why? Surely these documents have complex terminology, no benefits have been indicated, and the employees do not see exactly how they can participate and get involved. This is especially true for issues that have not been considered by the society before and in each person’s daily life, such as caring for the environment and saving resources. Maybe this had provided double motivation to actively ‘sell’ green ideas to employees or continue to implement the SEB Group’s environmental policy, which includes clear objectives and commitments in the area of the environment and corporate social responsibility.

ObjectivesThe objective of SEB Group in the area of the environment is to reduce CO2 emissions by 45% from 2008 to 2015. To achieve this, the following goals were defined for the SEB Green Year:

Reduce electricity and water consumption; Significantly reduce paper consumption; Implement a more environmentally friendly heating system; Create an environmentally friendly car fleet.

The campaign’s target audience were SEB employees, whose education, training and information was primarily done through internal communication channels. To increase the efficiency of communication, we turned electronic devices that consume resources which we planned to save, into communication channels.

StrategyBased on the objectives to reduce emissions into the atmosphere, a communication strategy was designed to make the employee involvement as large as possible, thus achieving each goal in every area. The communication plan was developed by addressing each employee directly in order to convey accurate, simple and clear messages with positive content. Thus, the idea of the campaign was built not on the prohibition to spend resources, but on showing alternative forms of action to current resource consumption.The campaign structure and communication flow should be regular and ongoing, which would ensure that messages are up to date and a motivation to get acquainted with them. Each month was designed

Baltic PR Awards 2012

Category: INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONwith a different theme and with new messages in different formats (messages, videos, environmental stickers, stickers next to the resource consuming devices – copies, printers, elevators, computers, light switches, etc.)

Execution A special Green section – SEB Eco IQ has been set up on the SEB internal website (intranet),

containing the SEB Group’s environmental policy, SEB business sustainability priorities, and an opportunity for everyone to calculate their ecological footprint and learn about current events and competitions.

SEB ‘Exercise Machine’ – notices were placed near elevators in the bank’s main building (10 floors) with an invitation to use the Exercise Machine (stairs) instead of the elevator. On each floor there was information about the altitude reached.

Green ideas contest for all departments with a chance to win an outdoor team building event. Lectures and involvement of employees in the Safe Driving School education on greener

everyday driving. To reduce paper consumption, an electronic billing system was implemented in collaboration

with Lattelecom. Also, boxes for recycling paper were placed in buildings, where all paper is brought for recycling.

In creating our product offers, we increased the presence of green ideas, for example, pay less when choosing ‘green’, Eco leasing, loans for energy efficient buildings, etc.

Documented Results Development and integration of a test on the intranet, which calculates the ecological footprint A comprehensive communication campaign realised throughout the year, using various creative

means of communication to promote green ideas Initiative with a positive message has enhanced team unity for achievement of common goals Golden Assessment of Sustainability Index; one of the most sustainable companies in Latvia 70% of the electricity is produced from environmentally friendly, renewable resources 45% of the bank’s car fleet has already been replaced with more environmentally friendly

vehicles Boxes for the recycling of paper have been set up; 90% of paper is recycled Drinking water in all buildings is provided from Venden water machines, replacing water from

0.5 l plastic bottles An electronic billing system has been introduced, saving 3 pages per invoice Setting up environmentally friendly heating systems has started in SEB banka branch offices Employees are actively involved in sports and healthy lifestyle activities

Baltic PR Awards 2012