Sustainability and the Environment

At CoBank, we believe that a commitment to sustainability and the environment is an integral part of good corporate citizenship. It’s about making life better now in the communities where our employees and customers live and work, while helping to ensure a better, healthier future.

The bank takes meaningful steps to reduce the environmental impact of its business operations, offsetting more than 50 percent of its Colorado power usage through the purchase of renewable wind generation credits, operating a bank-wide recycling program, purchasing hybrid vehicles for its business fleet and providing Eco-passes to Denver associates, allowing them to commute to work using city buses and light rail.

CoBank’s 11-story headquarters building is LEED Silver certified in recognition of its best-in-class building strategies and practices. The building’s many environmentally-friendly features include:

  • Electric car charging stations
  • Photo sensors that measure daylight and automatically adjust lighting levels to save energy
  • Occupancy sensors that measure activity within the building and adjust lighting accordingly
  • Water-efficient systems that reduce overall water usage
  • Digitally-controlled systems that allow more efficient heating and cooling

Through its Sharing Success program, CoBank often partners with its customers to support organizations and projects that promote sustainability and responsible stewardship of environmental resources. Recent contributions have supported:

  • Wildlife educational exhibits in Alabama;
  • Outdoor laboratories and environmental educational classes in Colorado;
  • Preservation of natural resources and promotion of outdoor recreation in Mississippi;
  • Wildlife habitat preservation in Wisconsin.
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In addition to these contributions, CoBank is proud to serve as the financial partner to electric cooperatives and other rural power providers across the United States. Many of these progressive organizations are making forward-looking investments in renewable energy generation systems.

Today, CoBank’s energy portfolio includes more than $3.8 billion in outstanding loans and leases for renewable energy projects. That makes us one of the largest underwriters of renewable energy in the country—a leadership position we’re committed to maintaining in the future.