Republic Bank Transforms Talk into Action with First Sustainability Expo

Port of Spain, Trinidad, September 18, 2024 – Thousands of visitors participated in the inaugural Republic Bank Sustainability Expo last Friday and Saturday, September 13-14, at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya. The first-of-its-kind event themed “Transforming Talk into Action” featured over 100 exhibitors ranging from Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises to large companies, all showcasing their efforts on the sustainability front. To host this flagship event, the Bank partnered with platinum sponsor, VISA, as well as other sponsors, PwC, NGC Green and Angostura.

Visitors to the two-day expo were able to explore a diverse range of booths showcasing sustainability innovations from service providers across various sectors including energy, manufacturing, agriculture, automotive, construction, tourism and many more. They also had the opportunity to sit-in at the Conversation Café where they heard from local and international sustainability experts on topics like Finance, Agriculture, the Circular Economy, and Do-It-Yourself opportunities. In addition, sustainability-focused local artisans were showcased at Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Village and Food Hub, providing a platform for sales through the Endcash digital wallet.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the expo, Republic Bank’s Vice President, Richard S. Sammy, reiterated the importance of meaningful collaboration and decisive action in achieving a more sustainable Trinidad and Tobago, and by extension, Caribbean. He stated, “It is important for us to meet, share, and connect so that we understand where we are, what we are doing and how we can do better as a collective – our futures depend on it.”

Sammy went on to highlight some of ways the Bank further reinforces its support through sustainable financing, “Recognising the pivotal role of the agricultural sector in ensuring food sustainability and food security in our region, we’re also investing US $100 million by 2025 towards nurturing and bolstering the Caribbean’s agri-business value chain.” He also added that the goal of the Expo was to do more than just speak about sustainability but encourage more action, “We’re transforming talk into action in how we operate as an institution. We created an Environmental Social Governance (ESG) management strategy with supporting targets to build a culture of corporate sustainability. Based on this strategic approach, we aim to reduce our Group-wide emission of fossil fuels within our real-estate portfolio by 26.4% and our power generation sector emissions intensity by 25.1% by 2030.”

Accordingly, the Bank deemed it important that the Expo should be a pioneering example of sustainable event management in Trinidad and Tobago. Republic collaborated with Close the Loop, a company that specialises in circular economy solutions such as facilitating green events, to create an event that was both memorable and environmentally responsible. Preliminary reports from this partnership reveal that 300 pounds of organic waste from the Sustainability Expo’s food court will be composted for use in quarry restoration work. Additionally, 47 pounds of mixed plastic waste sourced at the event will be recycled into plastic lumber.

The Republic Bank Sustainability Expo is a reflection of the Bank’s steadfast commitment to not only financing sustainable initiatives but also partnering with other stakeholders like expo platinum sponsor, VISA, to ensure that the future of Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean is one that will be safe and enjoyable for generations to come.