Celebrating Environmental Progress with the International Green Industry Hall of Fame

On the topic of the climate crisis, we can easily get swept away in the constant flurry of disheartening news articles about environmental degradation. Just as businesses must avoid false or exaggerated claims of environmental initiatives – called "greenwashing” – we must also speak up and celebrate environmental successes. By highlighting innovative leaders and projects within green industries, we can regain hope and momentum, share ideas, and prove that change is possible. The International Green Industry Hall of Fame is doing just that, and we are proud to be a sponsor and inductee of their virtual Hall of Fame.

Pioneering a Greener Future

The International Green Industry Hall of Fame’s mission is to recognize pioneers, leaders, innovators, creators and visionaries who have made significant contributions to the green industry. Their Hall of Fame includes a wide variety of inductees including an airline, guitar maker, photographer, vineyard, vegetable farm, baseball team, brewery, and many more. We’re proud to be included in this group that features other B Corps like World Centric and Patagonia, and some of our partners like the US Green Building Council.

Banking as a force for environmental good

At Beneficial State Bank, doing our part to create a banking system that nourishes our planet instead of extracting from it is at the core of our mission. Our Earth Services team was formed to accelerate our environmental lending and to expand our reach with organizations and businesses addressing critical environmental issues.

As of December 2022, we had over $100 million in loans outstanding to the environmental sustainability sector. These clients include environmental advocates, eco-friendly producers, conservation groups, environmental education programs, and others. Since our inception, we have disbursed a cumulative $144 million in loans to the renewable energy sector (including solar, biogas digester, small hydro, wind, and geothermal), resulting in over 1 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy produced. This translates to nearly 172,367 cars taken off the road for one year, and over 923,698 acres of US forests storing carbon for one year.

Just as important as the projects we support are the projects we will not support. Beneficial State Bank does not invest in coal, gas, oil, uranium, large-scale hydroelectric, and other energy sources that significantly contribute to climate change or pollution, nor do we invest in extractive projects and industries and the direct supply chains that serve them, including hard rock mining and fracking.

Make a Virtual Visit to the Hall of Fame

We encourage anyone reading this to spend some time scrolling though the International Green Industry Hall of Fame to see how different people, businesses, and nonprofits are tackling the climate crisis with their passion and creativity. It might even spark a business idea of your own or inspire you to nominate someone you know. And it’s a powerful reminder that positive environmental change can come from every corner of our society and, together, it can catapult us into a greener tomorrow.