Determinants of the Green Image of Cooperative Banks in the Segment of Young Consumers on the Example of a Selected Region of Poland

The growing importance of sustainability in the financial sector increases the need to analyse the green image of banks. However, research to date mainly focuses on large commercial banks, while cooperative banks, despite their local nature of operation and strong social ties, remain relatively poorly recognised empirically, especially regionally and in terms of young consumers’ perceptions. The aim of this article is to assess the level of the green image of cooperative banks and to identify selected socio-demographic and economic, psychological, and behavioural determinants that determine its perception by young customers in a selected region of Poland. Empirical research was conducted using a survey method (questionnaire interview, n = 256) in 2024. The green image was operationalised as a synthetic indicator, including an assessment of cooperative banks’ environmental responsibility activities, environmental initiatives, and sustainability communication, measured on a scale of 1–7. Student’s t-test, analysis of variance and a logistic regression model were used in the data analysis. The results indicate that the green image of cooperative banks in the study group is neutral (M = 4.34). Statistically significant differences were found depending on selected characteristics of the respondents. The results suggest the need to segment communication activities in the area of sustainability and to adapt the image-building strategy to the profile of young customers.