Izah Azahari
“As a bank that is always at the forefront of digital transformation, we encourage the public to donate trees through digital channels, such as the BIBD NEXGEN Online and Wallet, the Community for Brunei platform, Progresif Pay and the Sphere application,” said BIBD Chief Marketing Officer and Chair of the Sustainability Transformation Group Hajah Nurul Akmar binti Haji Mohd Jaafar.
She made these comments during the launch of the Eco Festival, organised by Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) as part of Climate Action Week of the Brunei Mid-Year Conference and Exhibition 2022 (Brunei MYCE 2022), at BIBD Connects in Taman Mahkota Jubli Emas, Bandar Seri Begawan yesterday.
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof; Minister of Home Affairs Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Ahmaddin bin Haji Abdul Rahman; Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Paduka Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin; Minister of Development Dato Paduka Awang Haji Mohd Juanda bin Haji Abdul Rashid; Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Pengiran Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha; and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Awang Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohamad attended as guests of honour.
BIBD Acting Managing Director and CEO Hajah Noraini binti Haji Sulaiman also attended, along with representatives from foreign diplomatic missions, strategic partners, senior government officials and members of BIBD Management.
As part of the Eco Festival, BIBD in collaboration with Community for Brunei and the Brunei Climate Change Secretariat (BCCS) viewed a short video on the Donate a Tree campaign.
Under the SME360 Sustainable Nation campaign, the initiative sees BIBD partnering with BCCS, Progresif, Sphere and various NGOs with an aim to plant 2,000 trees in various locations across Brunei Darussalam.
The guests of honour participated in a tree planting ceremony at BIBD Connects.
Hajah Nurul Akmar said, “The Donate a Tree campaign, which will soon be open to the public, is part of our effort to support the BCCS and Brunei Darussalam National Climate Change Policy (BNCCP), specifically the Green Protocol’s Tree Planting Strategy. BIBD has already begun to carry out its annual commitment of planting 2,000 trees by the end of the year. The campaign will run until August and the public can soon donate trees which will be combined with BIBD’s commitment and planted in locations across the country as part of our efforts to combat the harmful effects that climate change has on the world’s ecosystem.”
BIBD, as partner in progress, uses a ‘whole-of-nation’ approach, working with strategic partners to support His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s Government‘s goals towards Net Zero 2050. The tree planting also supports the World Economic Forum’s Trillion Tree Campaign which is also aligned with the United Nations (UN) Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030.
The guests of honour toured the Eco Festival and were briefed on the activities throughout the day.
Jerudong International School (JIS) and International School Brunei (ISB) showcased green initiatives by their school faculty and students at the Sustainable Schools section.
The festival also features an eco-documentary screening on the BIBD Connects Screen, arts and crafts activities and vendors selling a variety of handicrafts, food and beverages.
The Eco Festival is part of activities under BIBD’s SME360 Sustainable Nation campaign, a whole-of-nation approach aimed at encouraging small but impactful actions to fight the climate change crisis and move towards a circular economy. The campaign is also one of the initiatives undertaken as part of the BIBD Sustainability Framework, and sees the bank taking a leadership role on sustainability issues in the domestic market.
In May, BIBD partnered with the Brunei Darussalam National Council on Climate Change to establish, promote and develop cooperation between BIBD and BNCCP lead agencies in advancing climate change solutions towards Brunei Darussalam’s low carbon and climate resilience for a sustainable nation and cooperation in any other areas of mutual interest.
