We are proud to welcome Bank of the West to The Conservation Alliance as a Pinnacle Member. Bank of the West is the first bank to join The Conservation Alliance’s effort to protect wild places for future generations.
Bank of the West’s initiatives align with The Conservation Alliance’s values and mission to protect North America’s wild places, exemplified in policies that restrict the financing of fossil fuels, big tobacco, palm oil and other activities harmful to the planet. Additionally, Bank of the West has committed $1 billion to finance clean, efficient, and renewable energy projects.
In an effort to advance land and water conservation, San Francisco-based Bank of the West initiated membership conversations with The Conservation Alliance in August 2019. During a six-month vetting process, The Conservation Alliance staff and board reviewed Bank of the West’s policies to ensure the relationship would be in sync with the organization’s mission and funding priorities. The Alliance concluded their due-diligence in January, and announced Bank of the West as a new Pinnacle Member during Outdoor Retailer and Snow Show in Denver, Colorado.
Bank of the West is the first Pinnacle Member to join The Conservation Alliance since 2012. Other Alliance Pinnacle Member companies include Patagonia, The North Face, Merrell, REI, Clif Bar and KEEN. The Conservation Alliance aims to grow its grant fund to exceed $2 million in 2020. The Pinnacle Membership program is a key strategy toward reaching that goal.
“The Conservation Alliance was founded and is led by the outdoor industry, but we know there are other like-minded companies, in other industries, that want to help us achieve a bigger vision,” said Hans Cole, Chairman of The Conservation Alliance Board and Director of Environmental Campaigns and Advocacy at Patagonia. “Bank of the West is the type of business we hope to attract as we expand our alliance into new industries: they have a powerful voice and they are taking meaningful actions to protect our threatened wild places.”
“This is the decade to reverse climate change. Banking decisions can play a key role in the solution,” said Ben Stuart, Chief Marketing Officer at Bank of the West. “At Bank of the West, we are making bold choices about what we do and don’t finance on behalf of the environment, and we are teaming up with organizations, like The Conservation Alliance, that are taking action to protect our planet.”
“We were impressed by Bank of the West’s decision to withdraw support for companies that are detrimental to our environment,” said Brady Robinson, Executive Director at The Conservation Alliance. “It is rare to see this level of commitment from a financial institution and we are proud to welcome them as a new member.”
Interested in learning more about Bank of the West’s environmental policies? Visit these online resources:
Bank of the West’s Environmental Policy Overview
Rainforest Action Network 2019 Fossil Fuel Report Card
Climate Action Commitments and Targets
We are grateful for the support of our Pinnacle Members, our work would not be possible without them!
