Once again, an interesting experience of Corporate Social Responsibility in Treviso: this time, in the bank Credito Cooperativo Trevigiano.

We are in the second visit organised by the CSR Department of Treviso Chamber of Commerce.

This is a new way to discover, directly from the protagonists, the company organisation line, from the point of view of Corporate Social Responsibility.

To pursue this line, not only numbers are involved but also personal choices, and this emerges from the meeting with the company.

Nicola Bernardi, who is in charge of environmental management and the Vice President of Credito Cooperativo Trevigiano welcomed us in the charming Villa Emo, which is itself the example of responsible establishment in an area.

Villa Emo, in fact, was acquired by Credito Trevigiano at a time when it was feared the surrounding land would be given over for use as a gravel pit.
Today all the adjacent land has been blocked, and construction is not possible.

The principles of Corporate Social Responsibility – Bernardi explains – can combine perfectly with what Credito Trevigiano is because being a cooperative is implicit in its nature.
The concept of territory is provided in its statute, because cooperative credit can only operate within its own respective area of responsibility, and the branches of Credito Cooperativo stretch from Treviso to Bassano.
Growth targets are medium-long term aims, therefore, the Credito and its customers have avoided damage caused by derivatives thanks to its statute which prohibits these financial instruments.

The concept of territory is always involved in our project – Bernardi affirms – as we have 1 billion euros in loans to customers and 1.2 billion euros in deposit. The ratio between bank assets and loan is 12%.
The assets are part of the cooperative concept, with 140 million euros as its indivisible reserve.
The objective of joint, sustainable growth is a principle of the statute of Credito Cooperativo, along with encouragement to save, because no savings means no growth. Members are 6,170 in number and they must be part of the relevant territory.
The member is the central figure of cooperative credit and it is to him that many initiatives are addressed.
The cooperative has recruited 22 members' sons: there are incentives to study, advantageous prices for transport, visits to museums and exhibitions in order to promote socialisation.

Moreover, among the CSR projects we find:
- support for 21 parish churches, 170 sports clubs, 50 nursery schools.
- a health project in partnership with the territory;
- training dedicated to work-related learning;
- support for rural banks in Ecuador because it is considered that if the rural economy was a reason for development in Italy, the same could also be the case for those people.

In 2002, among the various initiatives, support through favourable funding terms was given to the committee of Fanzolo for the "Palladio designs the landscape" project

One novelty that has struck visitors is the Special Office for Energy.
Besides giving good financial terms for energy systems and photovoltaic panels, it provides technical consultation to clients for the calculation of the structure to apply.

With regard to the impact on the environment, the entire building is controlled by home automation. Each use of energy is registered but, above all, scheduled by software that optimises consumption and shows any waste so that it has brought about a saving of 8.5% .

With EMAS certification which requires environmental accountancy – Bernardi tells us – an important step forward has been taken for paper consumption per head, from 180 kg to 62 kg.
Through Internet banking, 3,200 kg of paper have been saved.
Obtaining the EMAS certification – Bernardi says – has been an important path which permitted us to face sustainable mobility and environmental accountancy, bringing us important savings and a new way to look at consumption.

During our visit Dr. Bernardi showed us the offices, then we proceeded to the central part of the Villa which hosts a museum. There, a guide showed us the paintings and told us the history of Villa Emo.

The visit ended with a buffet presented in this truly unique place.

Silvia Trevisan