In a recent discussion at the Temenos Community Forum, Kalliopi Chioti, Chief Marketing and ESG Officer at Temenos, and Schuyler Weiss, CEO of Alpian, explored avenues for sustainable growth in the banking sector and the rise of innovative ESG solutions.
Weiss emphasized the evolving definition of wealth, stating, “We need to broaden our understanding of wealth. Having substantial financial resources means little if the world is deteriorating. As banks and companies, it’s our responsibility to contribute positively to societal issues. While there is much to appreciate about our current world, we must ensure we are progressing toward a better future. Banks have a unique opportunity to influence change, enabling our clients to thrive in all dimensions of their lives, not just financially.”
Addressing the importance of ESG and corporate social responsibility, Chioti highlighted that these concepts have become paramount in the global landscape. She noted that while banks are pursuing digital transformation, they are committed to doing so sustainably. “At Temenos, we possess the necessary ESG credentials and an open cloud platform to assist our customers in evolving into intelligent and sustainable organizations,” she stated.
Chioti further discussed the capabilities of the Temenos Banking Cloud, which operates on major platforms like Microsoft Azure. This technology enables clients to track and minimize their operational carbon footprints and facilitates the integration of third-party applications designed to monitor, measure, and offset client transactions.
She detailed the advantages that Temenos clients experience through their offerings: “Our Temenos Carbon Calculator, available on the Temenos Banking Cloud, provides valuable insights regarding energy consumption and emissions reductions. This data is crucial for meeting reporting obligations and achieving Net-Zero targets.”
Weiss also pointed out the necessity for companies to consider both their direct environmental impact and that of their partners. He explained the collaborative effort between Temenos and Alpian Bank, highlighting that the carbon footprint of their Software-as-a-Service banking solution is over 90% lower compared to traditional on-premise solutions, representing a significant reduction in expected bank emissions.
“It’s one thing for an organization to claim a low carbon footprint; it’s another to provide tangible evidence of its achievement,” he remarked.