Environment

We’re committed to making a positive contribution to environmental sustainability through our actions, policies, supply chain and interactions with customers and brokers.

Our environmental sustainability objectives

We aim to positively contribute to environmental sustainability in the following ways:

Evaluate our greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint

Reduce electricity consumption, reduce waste and increase recycling in our buildings

Reduce greenhouse gas and carbon emissions by working with sustainable partners and suppliers

Minimise carbon intensive travel options and encourage adoption and use of video and teleconference style meetings

Educate and assist AFG brokers by developing and identifying products and services which help to reduce their carbon footprint including through travel, waste and paper usage

Develop our procurement processes so that environmental and social impacts are a key consideration when engaging with our supply chain

Environmental sustainability

We aim to positively contribute to environmental sustainability and are constantly seeking new initiatives to improve on our established environmental and sustainability efforts.

Evaluating & Reducing our carbon footprint – Innovation to assist brokers.

Sustainable Partnerships & Supply Chain

Bank Australia is the bank for people who believe in a fair and just world. We work with our customers to use their money as a force for good. We are here to benefit both our customer, their communities and the planet. All our products, i.e. loan and deposit offerings, are certified as ‘’responsible’’ by the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia.

We also use the term “clean money’’; we say our money is ‘’clean’’ because we never loan money to industries that do harm, like fossil fuels, gambling, live animal exports, etc. and all of our loans are subject to our Responsible Banking Policy. As a bank we seek to lend to those who have a positive impact, such as individual customers, clean energy transition, as well as community and disability housing.

Notwithstanding the above we also have our Clean Energy Home Loan (CEHL) which offers an incentive for those customers who are buying or building 7 star + (green homes) or who are considering making ambitious green upgrades – eligible customers can receive a discount on their interest rate for up to five years on this product.

Details of our CEHL product are available here.

The current interest rate table, LVR bands and residential loan table are available on our Broker Support website.

Three trees planted for every home loan

At Bluestone, we are taking a greener approach to home loans. With the help of our primary partner, One Tree Planted and regional partner, FEED, we are working to actively counteract our carbon footprint. For every home loan we settle, one tree is planted in Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines. These trees aid in the recovery of bushfire-affected regions and building new forest ecosystems.

Click here for more information.

For 30 years deposit bonds have been issued as a paper document, placed in paper envelopes and transported by the airlines to the purchasers legal rep, who then send the same paper documents to the vendors legal rep – travelling many thousands of kilometres by air and sea.

In December 2020 – Deposit Assure launched Australia’s first digital only deposit bond. No more paper, no more air miles or roads travelled to deliver our deposit bonds to the intended recipients. Our deposit bonds are issued digitally and homebuyers can exchange instantly.

To celebrate the positive environmental effects of this transition and to celebrate a massive reduction in Deposit Assure’s Carbon footprint, we would like to help reverse the damage from our paper based deposit bond solution. Deposit Assure will be donating $1 for every digital deposit bond lodged by AFG brokers in 2021 to plant trees. Donated to https://onetreeplanted.org/

Every mortgage product sold by all TMBL brands is socially responsible.
This is provided to the consumer at zero extra cost.
Every mortgage sold by Firefighters Mutual Bank, Health Professionals Bank, Teachers Mutual Bank, UniBank is Certified as Responsible Investment.
Third-party Certification is by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA).
Certification ensures transparency, accountability and protects against ‘greenwash’.

Retail mortgages have been certified by RIAA according to the strict operational and disclosure practices required under the Responsible Investment Certification Program. See www.responsibleinvestment.org for details.

The Responsible Investment Certification Program does not constitute financial product advice. Neither the Certification Symbol nor RIAA recommends to any person that any financial product is a suitable investment or that returns are guaranteed. Appropriate professional advice should be sought prior to making an investment decision. RIAA does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence.

As Australia’s largest non bank lender, Firstmac has a commitment to the environment and the long-term sustainability of housing and transport in Australia. These are some of the ways that Firstmac works to minimise the impact of our business operations on the environment, and encourage our customers to do the same.

Green Loans
Energy costs are rising globally and so is our carbon footprint, that’s why we are proud to offer Green Home Loan and Green Car Discount to help in the fight against climate change.

The Green Car Discount and Green Home Loan reward borrowers with a substantial interest-rate discount for choosing low-emissions homes and vehicles.

To qualify for a Green Home Loan, homes must have a NatHERS Energy Rating of at least 7 Stars and be built within the last 12 months. To get a Green Car discount, vehicles must have low CO2 emissions for a vehicle of their size. As well as electric and hybrid vehicles, the approved vehicles list includes many top-selling diesel and petrol cars. More than 1500 models and variants qualify.

Fossil Fuels
Firstmac offers home and car loans. We do not finance or invest in any industrial activities or projects. That means we have zero investments in mines, power generation, fossil fuels, or any other industries related to climate change.

Waste
We work hard to eliminate office waste wherever possible. Fact: Firstmac has a true paperless office. By moving to a paperless office, Firstmac has saved more than 2 million sheets of paper per year, most of which came from native forests.

For more information, visit our Ethics page on the Firstmac website

Every AFG Commercial loan powered by Thinktank contributes to socially responsible outcomes via the support of a wide range of charities. Since 2017, Thinktank has set aside $100 from every loan settled to donate to a range of charities as nominated by Thinktank staff.

The panel of donation beneficiaries are listed below. Contributions for 2021 alone will exceed $150,000. By using an AFG Commercial product under written by Thinktank, not only is a broker able to help meet a clients’ financial objectives and lending requirements, but they are also assisting many others in the community that may be in need.

1. Good Return
2. Heart Lung Clinic at St Vincents
3. Beyond Blue
4. Rotary Foundation
5. Kids Under Cover
6. Kids Helpline
7. Australian Resource Centre for PTSD
8. Sydney Dogs & Cats Home
9. Royal Flying Doctor Service
10. National Breast Cancer Foundation
11. Carrie’s Beanies for Cancer
12. Youth Off The Streets
13. The Kids Cancer Project
14. Ride for Youth
15. Yooralla
16. RJC Ministry
17. Fight MND
18. Dress For Success
19. Horse Shepherd Equine Sanctuary
20. Indigenous Literacy Foundation
21. Australian Multiple Births Association
22. Red Nose Day
23. Drought Angels
24. RSPCA
25. Nelune Foundation
26. The Wayside Chapel
27. Smith Family
28. Medicins sans Frontiere

Pepper Money gifts over 7 hectares of protected forest to local communities

In 2021 Pepper celebrates our 21st birthday, and to mark the occasion we are planting 21 trees for every Pepper Money employee in Australia, New Zealand and The Philippines. More than seven hectares of native protected forest will be planted across these three countries – and a seedling nursery will be created to support future needs, too.

To achieve this goal, Pepper Money has chosen three organisations to help with the planting – Green Fleet in Australia, Trees that Count in New Zealand, and the Haribon Foundation in the Philippines. By planting the equivalent of seven rugby fields with native trees and seedlings, Pepper Money is contributing to a healthier planet and creating a more successful future for everyone.

You can learn more about our reforestation project by clicking here

Turn Green Dreams Into Reality With Wisr

Wisr is a leading personal loan lender making finance a force for good. Our vision is to bring financial wellness to all, but we also know that looking after the planet is important. Our Green Loan can help Australians secure a greener, cleaner future for generations to come.

Whether it’s installing solar panels and battery storage devices, swapping petrol-guzzlers for low-emission vehicles or upgrading to energy-efficient lighting and climate control systems, more Australians are funding their green project with Wisr Green Loan.

Eligible customers are able to access funds for green projects at a low rate with excellent repayment terms. Details of this offering can be found by clicking here.

Finance provided by Wisr Finance Pty Ltd ACN 119 503 221 Australian Credit Licence 458572 to approved applicants. All applications for credit are subject to Wisr’s credit approval criteria. This does not constitute an offer for credit nor does it guarantee that an offer for any product will be made to you. Terms and conditions apply.

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