Bank of the West Becomes First Bank to Join Forces with Protect Our Winters
Bank of the West's unique financing policies align directly with POW's mission to affect systemic solutions to climate change
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of the West, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, today announced it is the first bank to join Protect Our Winters (POW), a leading climate advocacy group for the winter sports community. As a Summit Level Partner, Bank of the West will join some of the most recognized outdoor brands in pushing for systemic solutions to climate change.
"When you deposit money in the bank, it doesn't just sit there, it goes out into the world and finances things," said Ben Stuart, Chief Marketing Officer at Bank of the West. "Your bank, and your deposits, can be a force for good. That's why Bank of the West is making bold choices about what we do and don't finance on behalf of the environment and teaming up with organizations, like Protect our Winters, that are taking action to protect our planet."
The Climate Impact Lab1 predicts the number of days at or below freezing in some of the most popular ski towns in the U.S. will decline by weeks over the next 20 years. As this reduction occurs, there will be a dramatic, negative impact on the local economies and industries who rely on these winter seasons – unless changemakers act now to protect natural resources.
"POW aligned with Bank of the West because it is one of the only U.S. banks taking action to combat climate change via sustainable financing practices," said Mario Molina, Executive Director at Protect Our Winters. "Bank of the West has proven to be an important ally to the outdoor sports industry. We're excited to welcome them into our community; their proactive action on energy transition issues makes them a natural fit with POW's mission."
To kick-off this relationship, Bank of the West and POW have launched the #CaptureTheChange photo contest on Instagram to initiate conversations on how climate change is affecting our winters. The contest, which will run until March 1, 2020, encourages consumers to think about the impact they're seeing as a result of climate change, including the important areas they wish to preserve with more sustainable lifestyles.
To enter, participants follow @Bankofthewest and @Protectourwinters on Instagram and post a photo in accordance with the Official Rules. Photos should show their winter experience and how it is, or could be, impacted by climate change. Winners will receive gear from select POW members. To enter, participants must be legal residents of the 50 U.S. or D.C. and 18+ and age of majority. Void where prohibited. No Purchase or Account needed.
For the full contest details and rules, visit https://changematters.bankofthewest.com/change/capturethechange-photo-contest/. To learn more about Bank of the West's sustainable policies, visit https://changematters.bankofthewest.com/change/ .
About POW
Founded by professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones in 2007, Protect Our Winters (POW) turns passionate outdoor people into effective climate advocates. POW leads a community of athletes, thought pioneers and forward-thinking business leaders to affect systemic solutions to climate change and believes that by engaging and turning a critical number of passionate outdoor people into effective climate advocates, they can add enough power to the climate movement to positively affect systemic policy change and lead to a cultural shift in climate advocacy. For more information, visit http://www.protectourwinters.org.
About Bank of the West
At Bank of the West, we know money deposited in a bank has the power to finance positive change. So we are taking action to ensure our activities help protect the planet, improve people's lives, and strengthen communities. We are redefining banking for a better future by focusing on areas where we believe we can have a real impact: supporting energy transition, helping enable women entrepreneurs, and financing innovative start-ups. As the bank for a changing world, Bank of the West is committed to sustainable finance along with our parent company BNP Paribas. Through Digital Channels and offices across the U.S., Bank of the West provides financial tools and resources to more than 2 million individuals, families and businesses. © 2020 Bank of the West. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Doing business in South Dakota as Bank of the West California.
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1 Climate Impact Lab. "America's Shrinking Ski Season". 02/08/2018: http://www.impactlab.org/news-insights/americas-shrinking-ski-season/
SOURCE Bank of the West
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