15 thousand trees are planted this fall in Citibank's 2011 Plant-a-Tree Program

October 20, 2011

Citibank Hungary is planting another 15,000 trees this Autumn in and around Budapest in a continuation of its Plant-a-Tree Program launched in 2008. At the launch of this initiative, Citibank promised to plant a tree for every one of its Consumer and SME customers who switches to paperless e-statements, driving environmental friendly behavior among its customers and playing its part in efforts to conserve the forests in partnership with customers, NGOs and forestry companies.

This fall 15,000 oak trees are to be planted in the Torokbalint area close to Budapest replacing locust trees damaged by heavy storms. Planting native tree species will contribute to the revival of the ecosystem.

Senior representatives of Citibank Hungary and Pilisi Parkerdo Forestry Company at the 2011 Plant-a-Tree Program Launch Event on 30 September

Batara Sianturi, Citi Country Officer for Citibank Hungary said, “Many of our customers are telling us how much they appreciate Citibank’s green initiative and how happy they are to get engaged, so we decided to continue this program. Since the launch in 2008 we have contributed to reviving the forests around the capital by planting in total 52 thousand trees while providing our customers with a most advanced solution to track their transactions online. This is a wonderful example of our contribution to the community in 2011 that marks our 25th anniversary in Hungary and a great support in our endeavor to becoming the world’s leading digital bank.”

Jon Wiggins, Consumer Business Manager also remarked, “This is my first year at Citibank Hungary and I am so impressed by the way this going green program is embedded into the Hungarian consumer and corporate franchise. By including our credit card customers in this project, we expect to plant many more trees in the years to come. Along with the environmental benefits, going paperless has its consumer advantages as well: it allows customers to view their statements online anywhere, anytime.”

“The Pilisi Parkerdo Forestry Company is delighted to work together with Citibank on this important project," said Peter Csepanyi, chief engineer responsible for production and environmental affairs at Pilisi Parkerdo Forestry. "I would like to thank Citibank for their continued support in restoring the damages caused by last year’s storms. The trees that we are planting will help to clean the air we breathe, purify waterways, control erosion, add beauty to the landscape and provide food and habitat for wildlife.”

Citibank’s partners in this project are the Forests for the Community Foundation (FFCF) and the Pilisi Parkerdo Forestry Company. The Pilisi Parkerdo Forestry Company was established in 1969 and its specialists now manage a total of 65 thousand hectares of national forests in the area surrounding the capital, where the demand for healthy environment and the conservation of natural resources is enormous.