Would You Use a Green Bank Account?

A couple of days ago, I attended a Webinar hosted by Colin Beavan , who is known rather widely as No Impact Man. He spoke with Sandy Wiggins and Frank Baldassarre at e3bank . The concept is an interesting one: Provide green banking services . Wiggins and Baldassarre offered insight into e3bank, which is expected to roll out this fall.

“Banks have traditionally been in the role of making profits out of getting people to use more resources,” they said. “We want to encourage clients into better practices.” And, at the same time e3bank will work at being a sustainable, carbon neutral institution.

One way of encouraging better practices includes offering helpful programs to encourage green renovations in buildings. The ambitious Green Assist program would help homeowners finance environmentally friendly upgrades to their houses. The streamlined process would also extend to helping homeowners find installers and apply for the appropriate tax breaks.

Bank clients with accounts would also receive regular “impact statements” along with their bank account statements.

It’s really kind of a cool idea. “Banks use the money you put in them to do a number of things,” the e3bank people said. “We want to encourage people to ask: What is the bank doing with my dollar?”

What about you? Would you join a green bank?