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29 March 2007

Westpac customers can 'go green' to combat climate change

Westpac today launched a new 'green' initiative in partnership with Easy Being Green for its Altitude credit cardholders. Altitude customers can now use the reward points they earn with their credit card to offset their greenhouse gas emissions and become 'carbon neutral'.

Altitude customers can offset the greenhouse gas emissions of their car, air travel or household with the reward points they earn. Customers can also use their points to redeem an energy and water saving pack that contains six energy saving light globes and a AAA rated water-saving showerhead.

Westpac General Manager, Stakeholder Communications, Noel Purcell, said the new initiative is another way Westpac is helping its customers help the environment.

"With the reality of climate change upon us, the potential environmental benefit of this initiative is significant. For example, if all of our Altitude customers offset the greenhouse gas emissions of their home, CO2 emissions could be reduced by up to 5 million tonnes, which is equivalent to removing about one million cars from Australia's roads.

"Westpac took early action to minimise its environmental footprint by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 45% since 1996. However, we can make an even bigger difference by helping our customers take steps to reduce their own C02 emissions," Noel said.

Approximately half of Westpac's Altitude customers already hold enough reward points to offset the 6.19 tonnes of CO2 pollution generated by an average single person household over twelve months.

Easy Being Green CEO Paul Gilding said a growing number of people are looking to take practical action to combat climate change.

"Since 2004 more than half a million households have joined with Easy Being Green to reduce 620,000 tonnes of CO2 pollution, the equivalent to taking 150,000 cars off the road each year," Paul said.

"The interesting thing about this initiative is that Westpac customers can now use their purchasing power to drive down Australia's greenhouse gas emissions."

The green credit card initiative joins Westpac's existing 'green' offerings, including its green mortgage package – the Economical Living Program – the e-statements initiative and the Westpac Landcare Term Deposit.