Triodos Bank, reference of ethic banking in Europe, is an institution founded in 1980 and has branches in Holland, Belgium, United Kingdom and Spain. In addition, it develops an intense activity elsewhere in Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa. Last year, Triodos Bank celebrated its 25th anniversary as a European financial institution.
The aim of Triodos Bank is to contribute to positive change and sustainable development of society from the financial system, respect for people, nature and culture. To this end, it invests only in companies and initiatives, as well as being economically profitable, with added environmental, social and cultural value. Triodos Bank's investments are aimed at sectors such as renewable energy, environmental technology, organic agriculture, bio building, sustainable tourism, support for groups at risk of exclusion or art.
The bank also supports organizations that work in the field of development cooperation, highlighting its efforts in promoting fair trade and microcredit as an effective tool in the fight against poverty. In this field, Triodos Bank is involved in more than 60 financial institutions in 40 countries worldwide. All this is possible thanks to its customers and investors, both individuals and institutions that wish to contribute to positive change in society in a context of sustainable development, more humane and respectful to the planet and people.
Triodos Bank takes into account not only economic and financial aspects in its banking practice, but also the social and environmental impact of their activity. This triple approach is reflected in its own name: Triodos, derived from the Greek words Tri-Hodoš, which means' triple track '.
Triodos Group currently has a balance sheet total of over 2,300 million euros and more than 100,000 customers. Since September 2004, Triodos Bank is fully operational in Spain. Any person or institution can become a client of the bank and savings in a socially responsible through savings accounts, current accounts and deposits offered by Triodos, easily available via Internet, telephone or mail.
The bank reported total transparency about the companies and projects it funds through its regular publications and web site, because consistent faithfully inform its customers about the responsible management of their savings.
The result of the will of Triodos Bank to offer innovative products and services to its customers is the attainment of alliances with various social actors. In 2005, Triodos Bank was the financial institution which launched the first savings product that combines economic efficiency with environmental responsibility. The Eco-deposit has the explicit support of the five environmental organizations most representative in Spain: Amigos de la Tierra Spain, Ecologists in Action, Greenpeace, SEO / BirdLife and WWF / Adena.
This year, Triodos Bank launches another innovative product bank “Cuenta Justa”, saving a high-interest, while still favoring Fair Trade initiatives. To this end, the bank has signed an agreement with the three major national institutions working in this field: IDEAS, Intermón Oxfam and SETEM. This product was added to support that Triodos Bank has since its origins to Fair Trade as profitable and sustainable economic practice.
