Standard Bank’s Keith Cassie works on decarbonisation efficiency first, offsetting second

Standard Bank is buying renewable energy certificates to cover 21 branches in Growthpoint-owned malls and offices.

Keith Cassie, head of sustainability and resilience at Standard Bank Group Real Estate Services, recently responded to ESG Global’s three clever questions on extending the model to data centres, lessons learnt, as well as sustainability and resilience at home.

Standard Bank’s footprint extends far beyond leased branches. Is this a model you’d consider rolling out to offices and data centres, or is there another plan in place for that infrastructure?

The renewable energy certificate programme shows how landlords and tenants can work together to achieve credible emissions reductions in leased spaces, where occupiers often have limited control over their electricity source. The model is therefore relevant not only to branches, but also to offices and other leased facilities.

Our broader strategy, however, goes beyond renewable energy certificates. Standard Bank has committed to achieving net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions across its own operations by 2040. We are pursuing this through space optimisation, energy-efficiency improvements, renewable energy generation, green building practices, and engagement with key suppliers and service providers, including those supporting real estate and data centre operations.

We therefore apply the most appropriate solution to each asset type. Depending on the site, this could include renewable energy certificates, on-site generation, wheeled renewable energy, efficiency retrofits, improved building management systems, or partnerships with infrastructure providers. The goal is consistent: to steadily reduce operational emissions while strengthening resilience and energy security across our footprint.

You noted these were the first Net Zero Carbon (measured) certificates for bank branches in South Africa. What big lesson was learnt that you would like to pass on to companies following a similar route as Standard Bank?

Decarbonisation starts with efficiency, not offsets.

Before pursuing renewable energy solutions, we focused on cutting consumption through measures such as LED lighting, smart controls, efficient equipment, more efficient heating and cooling and better operational management. Once those fundamentals are in place, renewable energy becomes much more effective and financially sensible.

Sustainability increasingly depends on partnership. In leased environments, meaningful emissions reductions often require close collaboration between tenants, landlords, energy providers and certification partners. By aligning objectives and working together, stakeholders can achieve practical, verifiable decarbonisation outcomes faster than they could alone.

What’s one small thing you’ve changed in your own life in terms of sustainability and resilience, because of what you’ve learned at work?

Working in sustainability has reinforced that resilience is built through many small choices rather than one major intervention.