ING Belgium's Marnix building in Brussels will undergo an environmentally-friendly renovation in the form of a green roof and special façade whose paint can absorb CO2 from the air.
The bank announced the plans this weekend on its 150th anniversary, according to Bruzz.
“Vegetation can regulate the temperature in a city, absorb rain and promote well-being. In this way, we want to do our part to accelerate the sustainable transition in our cities and towns,” said ING Belgium CEO Peter Adams.
In total, the painted façade could remove as much CO2 from the air as a 645-hectare forest, says ING Belgium, or an area about the size of the municipality of Ixelles.
The façade of the ING headquarters is 25 metres high, and after the renovation, the Marnix building will be CO2 neutral.
The green renovations the bank is planning this year come with a price tag of €500,000.
The money will come from a new fund set up by the bank in cooperation with the King Baudouin Foundation, whose aim is not only to make ING's own buildings greener, but also to help other institutions such as governments, universities and hospitals do the same.
