Westide Permaculture Gatherings

Banks are businesses formed to maintain savings and checking accounts, issue loans and credit, and deal in negotiable securities and other financial services. Insurance businesses collect premiums from customers in exchange for a promise to reimburse the customer in the event of loss. Both services can have great influences on sustainability by: financing "green" product investments or lowering insurance rates if "green" products are used; creating microinsurance packages for the poor; issuing "green" credit cards in which part of the profits are donated to sustainability NGOs; providing "green" mortgages at special rates for sustainable homes; preferential banking packages to organizations adopting "green" strategies (especially for energy and greenhouse gas reduction); or providing "green" investment funds at special rates for restoration projects such as brownfields.

Keywords: green banking, green insurance, green lending, green project financing, green insurance, green investments, green products, green credit cards, green mortgages, green savings accounts, preferential banking packages, environmental liability/damage insurance, green insurance research, recycling write-offs, catastrophe bonds, green due diligence checks, microinsurance, microsavings, microloans, Grameen Bank, financial services to the poor, cedit unions, investment co-ops