National Bank of Middlebury

In this current economic climate, "responsible" might not be the first word that comes to mind when thinking about banks. But, the National Bank of Middlebury's booth shows how this bank is striving to provide eco-friendly banking to cater to the needs of its customers and the planet. Marlene Saunders and Chris Lapierre told me about some of these efforts.
"We're trying to do more online banking to save paper," said Maureen. The bank in general is moving towards new green technologies, especially when it comes to bank branches.

"It's about unconventional construction... building smarter." The bank has invested in solar technology for its buildings, as well as using a propane generator for one building in particular.

The bank is also encouraging its customers to follow suit by providing loans for wood pellet technology and additional insulation for houses. Coincidentally, the bank was motivated to do this by customers; "People want to do something different... we're doing this to serve the community," Chris remarked.

Case study by Julia Klas, Vermont Climate Witness Intern