Crédit Agricole Egypt has announced the launch of the first eco-friendly contactless payment cards in Egypt, in cooperation with the German company Giesecke+Devrient (G+D).
This comes as part of Crédit Agricole Egypt’s strategy based on sustainability and innovation, and confirms its social responsibility and contribution to the global efforts in combating climate change.
As part of this, the bank is actively pursuing bringing in the latest green technologies and products as part of its activities. It is also part of G+D’s approach for the ongoing development and upgrade of its cards range to produce unique designs and distinctive safety features.
For the first time in the Egyptian market, the new cards are made of plant-based polylactic acid (PLA). This gives the cards an edge over traditional plastic cards in terms of preserving the environment.
The new cards are certified by international bodies and do not result in any harmful waste at any stage of its life cycle, from manufacturing through use or even when disposed of.
Walie Lotfy, Deputy Managing Director of Crédit Agricole Egypt, said, “Since its establishment in 2006, we have successfully played a fundamental role as an economic institution as a reference for European banks in Egypt.”
He added, “We have done so by combining global and local expertise to serve our customers and support sustainable development to actively partake in achieving Egypt’s financial inclusion target, which is in line the parent group’s strategy of innovation and ongoing development.”
Lotfy also said that, as part of Crédit Agricole Group, the Egypt operations are committed to the recommendations of the Paris Climate Agreement to reduce its carbon footprint.
“Therefore, we are working on the use of environmentally friendly materials that mitigate the effects of global warming,” he said, “The new headquarters of Crédit Agricole Egypt is the first LEED Platinum-certified green building in Egypt and North Africa.”
The new cards made by G+D will adhere to the look, appearance, quality, and durability standards that Crédit Agricole Egypt have enjoyed. The German company has also provided top quality products for the Egyptian market over the years, and recently featured innovative solutions.
These include an electronic payment bracelet, and payment cards made of wood or metal to give customers a tangible feel of excellence and which reflect the bank’s strong value.
G+D is one of the world’s leading institutions in the field of smart card technology and solutions for the banking sector. Founded in 1852 in Munich, the company has since expanded to 40 branches and sales offices in 32 countries.
With 20 production sites and dozens of data centres, the company has always been a step closer to its customers around the world. Since the beginning of its activity in Egypt, it has maintained a leading role as a partner for Egyptian banks and international financial institutions in the field of developing payment systems. This has taken place through many innovative solutions and the highest quality smart cards available in the world.
