The Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), a member-based organisation committed to helping banks address the effects of climate change and associated economic impact, has ‘initiated a member vote to decide on a proposed transition from a membership-based alliance to establishing its guidance as a new framework initiative’. This follows the decision by every large bank member in the US and Canada, and several others outside North America, to leave the organisation, with most departing between late 2024 and mid-2025.

At May’s Currency Conference the Bank of Thailand’s (BOT) Anak Somkanae, Senior Director, Payment Infrastructure and Services Strategy and Development Department, presented on cash logistics and its significant carbon footprint and. Separately, Montira Pattanakul, Senior Director, Banknote Operations Department took part in panel discussion on the cash product from cradle to grave. These two sessions gave an excellent overview of the BOT’s cash operations.

ATMIA recently held a webinar with Diebold Nixdorf (DN) looking at the role of ATMs in sustainable banking. Contributors were Helena Mueller, VP Europe, Matt Phillips, Head of Banking, UK & Ireland and Raoul Meichtry, Managing Director, Switzerland.

Reconnaissance, working with Currency Publications, started a programme of sustainability-related projects at the end of 2021 with the publication of ‘Cash: A Roadmap to Sustainability’. Since then, we have continued a programme of work which has been made freely available in an effort to help reduce our industries environmental impact.

A new survey of central banks and state printing works in Latin America, Central America and the Caribbean has identified their environmental priorities. 42% of countries in the region replied, and their answers have been used to shape the agenda for a day dedicated to a workshop on Cash Sustainability on Monday 9 June in Rio de Janeiro. The event is being held in conjunction with the International Currency Association.

MyCarbon, who spoke at the Cash Sustainability Forum™, has recently teamed up with Santander Bank to explain about Scope 3 reporting of greenhouse gas emissions for small and medium size enterprises (SMEs).

The Dutch National Bank (DNB) reported on the sustainability work of the Joint European Tender (JET) group at the Intergraf Currency+Identity conference. This is a tangible banknote specific example of an approach to using procurement to drive change.

A new white paper investigates how cash management is changing and best practice for optimising efficiency, thereby reducing the cost and environmental impact of cash. Written by John Winchcombe of Reconnaissance International (co-publishers of Cash & Payment News™) and Paul Blond of The Blond Group, with help from the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA), the paper focuses on what happens to cash once it has been issued, because that is where the majority of the environmental impact of cash occurs.

Members of the UK’s Cash Industry Environmental Charter (CIEC) Group have shared best practice and worked together since 2021 with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint of notes and coins in the cash cycle.

The European Central Bank’s Product Environmental Footprint study found that 82% of the environmental impact of banknotes happened post-issue. In addition, all around the world cash usage is changing. Stakeholders are having to rethink how cash is organised.