Green Banking to Sustainable Development of Bangladesh

Green Banking is a type of banking from which the nation and country gets long-term benefits. A general bank turns into a green bank by coordinating its core activities toward the improvement of environment. The idea of green banking was created in the western nations. Green Banking was formally launched in 2003 with the end goal of ensuring the climate. There are two different ways of green financial practices. One is in-house green banking; another is practice by the brokers in their business region. Making perfect and sterile financial condition, green structure, reforestation, web based banking, squander the executives, establishment of solar panel on the housetop of the bank and utilizing high mileage vehicles, lessening sound contamination, utilizing webcam for video conferencing rather than physical gatherings, online explanations, messaging reports are incorporated into the in-house Green Banking.

Role of green banking for sustainable development 

There are very close relations between green banking and sustainable development To be economically viable and environmentally sustainable any development must have feasibility to bring economic profitability. Environmental conservation featured with up gradation of its ecosystem parameters and wellbeing of those very social stakeholders. In this particular viewpoint, green banking is one of the key banking principles intensively takes care of environmental improvisation in the financing portfolios by banks and financial institutions. Green Banking aims at environmental sustainability and climate change resilience those are key elements of inclusive socio-economic development strategy. It also addresses in-house green banking activities of the institutions, establishments and individuals. Therefore, prerequisites of sustainable development is sustainable finance, which technically can lead green banking along with other environment friendly investment activities of financial sectors in the end. 

Bangladesh bank first introduced the regulations of Green banking in the year 2011. State Owned Bank. State Owned Commercial Bank, Private Commercial Bank and Foreign Commercial Bank etc., all banks are working diligently on Green Banking as instructed by Bangladesh Bank. According to the report of Bangladesh Bank on "Green Banking 2013", all scheduled banks have developed their own Green Banking Policy and Green Banking unit. Banks have distributed 793,561.25 million Taka in 10,868 projects. Banks have distributed 270,921.53 Million Taka in 2012 as Green Financing. Banks utilized 258.89 Million Taka as CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) in Green Banking Activities and Green Projects. Banks are focusing highly on Green Marketing, Training and Development utilizing 90.42 million taka from their fund. Current situation of online banking is 3,445 branches among 8,392 branches (41.05%) are completely technologically enriched. State Owned Banks and Specialized Development Banks have continued working on online internet and SMS banking initiatives. 

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has been proactively guiding the banks and NBFIS for diverse sustainable banking initiatives since 2011. Regarding these green banking initiatives of BB broadly categorized into the following aspects: policy initiatives, monitoring of green banking activities of banks and NBFIs, refinance support from Bangladesh Bank in diverse green products/ sectors, and Bangladesh's own initiatives for environmental management. Some other initiatives that can be taken for the sustainable development of Bangladesh: 

a) Playing direct role for protection of environmental pollution at national and international level through adoption of environment friendly banking policy. 

b) Encouraging project finance in environment friendly projects and discouraging the projects detrimental to good environment. 

c) Adoption of Social commitment and ethics consciousness based banking policy. 

d) Ensure the optimum use of gas, water, electricity, office-stationery, etc. 

e) Increasing the use of on-line communication, on-line customer service, ATM, etc. 

f) Protection of forest resources through optimum use of paper and toner. 

g) Increase environment friendly activities in customer service, financing, internal environment of management, i.e. growth in on-line customer service, ATM, etc. 

h) Development of environment consciousness among bankers and customers.

i) Priorities the environment friendly and energy saving technology in official procurement. 

j) Provide sponsorship for the development of public consciousness through encourages the environment friendly activities. 

k) Publishing and communicating memo, circular, statement through web mail/ web site without normal printing.