Greenhouse Gas Neutrality: Optimizing Operations

The reduction of the direct energy consumption of Credit Suisse and thereby of the own greenhouse gas emissions remains the first responsibility of the in-house environmental management. It also leads to direct savings, particularly since the prices for fossil fuels have risen substantially.

In certain markets Credit Suisse is obliged either by energy efficiency legislation to reduce its energy consumption. In Switzerland the so called "energy model" which is part of the CO2 legislation commits Credit Suisse to an annual improvement of its energy efficiency by 1.4%. In the UK, Credit Suisse is engaged in the Energy Systems Trade Association (ESTA) Program. With the ongoing worldwide implementation of the Kyoto protocol mechanisms such legislation is likely to be implemented also in other markets.

Reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by optimizing operations requires personnel and financial expenditure for the management of the optimization projects including controlling. The achievable savings range from 5 to 20%, depending on previous efficiency of the premises and the age of the technical infrastructure.