Citibank's Plant-a-Tree Program in its 5th anniversary brings a total of 111 thousand planted trees

October 8, 2012

Citibank Hungary is planting another 59,000 trees around Budapest this autumn in the continuation of its Plant-a-Tree Program. When launching this program in 2008, Citibank promised to plant a tree for every customer switching from printed to paperless e-statements. Citibank's overall aim in this global initiative is to drive environmentally friendly behavior among its customers and to contribute to the conservation of forests in partnership with customers, NGOs and forestry companies.

This fall 59,000 saplings will be planted in the forests around Budapest managed by the Pilisi Parkerdo Forestry to replace trees lost in the aftermath of droughts in 2011 and 2012.

Senior representatives of Citibank Hungary and the Pilisi Parkerdo Forestry planted trees and celebrated the 5th anniversary of the program at the 2012 Plant a Tree Program Launch Event on 5 October

Batara Sianturi, Citi Country Officer for Citibank Hungary said, "We at Citibank are very pleased to see an increasing number of our customers getting engaged in this program and telling us how much they appreciate this initiative. We are celebrating the 5th anniversary of this program with a record number of trees to be planted in the name of our customers, adding up to a total of 111,000 trees. This is a wonderful example of our contribution to the community and supports Citi's endeavor to become the world's leading digital bank."

Jon Wiggins, Consumer Business Manager also remarked, "Along with the environmental benefits of preserving nature, going paperless has its consumer advantages as well, as we are providing our customers with a most advanced digital solution to view their statements and track their transactions 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 saving the forests for the next generation. 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 For Naszaly Foundation and the Pilisi Parkerdo Forestry. 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.