Environment

With our environmental programme we contribute to the conservation and protection of the natural environment. This goal inspires projects and partnerships around the world that combat climate change, encourage biodiversity, protect endangered species and make cities greener.   

 
The initiatives we support target urgent local priorities, from the preservation of forests, farmland, and urban green spaces to the health of oceans and coastlines, rivers and wetlands. Alongside hands-on intervention we contribute to education initiatives that build a deeper understanding of the natural world, support a future green economy and climate resiliency.   

Since 2010, our colleagues have planted over half a million trees worldwide. The benefits of restoring woodland include climate resilience, habitat preservation, cleaner air and improved water supply. Trinkwasserwald in Germany is one of many projects we support globally. This partnership helps turn evergreen forests into mixed woodlands by planting heat-resistant deciduous species among the conifers, which improves climate protection by absorbing more CO₂ from the atmosphere. More than 4,000 Deutsche Bank employees have planted trees with Trinkwasserwald, creating 106,4 hectares of mixed woodland that generates an additional 84 million litres of drinking water every year.

Increasing water supply is also the goal of our project with Swades Foundation in India. Farmers in the state of Maharashtra have been struggling to make a living due to lack of water to irrigate their crops. The installation of drip irrigation systems that transfer rainwater to farmlands, powered by solar pumps, will now allow these farmers to grow crops year-round, improving land use and providing a better standard of living for the farmers and their families. The systematic recycling of rainwater also replenishes water resources in a region increasingly affected by climate change. So far, more than 1,500 farmers have received training on this new method of crop cultivation.

South Africa has been grappling with the challenge of food security for a long time. A partnership between Deutsche Bank South Africa Foundation and Food & Trees for Africa creates food gardens that benefit local communities in multiple ways. Combining agriculture and urban green spaces, the project plants a mix of fruit trees and shade trees. These gardens improve the supply of fresh and affordable food locally and also provide protection from the elements.

The ocean is a vast ecosystem that supports the lives and livelihoods of more than three billion people around the world. Yet it’s also under threat from climate change, environmental damage and pollution. Marine life in the Pelagos Sanctuary, an area of the Mediterranean Sea between Italy, France and Monaco, is especially vulnerable due to the heavy concentration of global maritime traffic on this route. Fondazione Deutsche Bank Italia is working with WWF Italy to raise awareness of the importance of local marine ecosystems for biodiversity and all the communities connected to the Mediterranean’s blue economy.

Every year more than 11 billion kilogrammes of plastic end up in the ocean. As much as 80 percent of it is carried by rivers, as litter picked up from cities and towns along the way. One solution to this problem is to remove the plastic before it gets to the ocean. As part of an education programme for local primary schools, Deutsche Bank volunteers are working with The Waterways Protection Project in the UK to clean up rivers and canals in London and Birmingham.