The growing importance of green issues in the battle for business is under the spotlight with the launch of a Midlands campaign costing more than £1 million.

The Co-operative Bank chose the region because more of its customers than other areas considered environmental issues important in the way their cash is handled.

A five-week TV advertising campaign across the Central TV region is launched today along with a seven-week parallel drive at cinemas.

Five hundred posters will be put up in the Midlands with around 300 of them in Birmingham.

The "stand up" campaign will also see 200 business receive a peace lily with the message "stand up for what you believe in" and a small Co-operative Bank logo.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) said increasing numbers of businesses are recognising the importance of environmental issues.

Chris Boswell-Munday, a regional director for the West Midlands and South West, said: "There is a growing awareness of sustainability and it is also all tied in with social responsibility in business and being a good company."

The CIM said the "triple bottom line" - sustainability, social responsibility and profitability - was becoming increasingly relevant.

Head of communications Ray Jones said: "It makes good business sense to be operating in those terms as customers increasingly come to expect it of companies."

The Co-operative Bank maintains it has been at the vanguard of green strategies for 14 years, since the launch of its ethical policy.

Kelvin Collins, head of brand management, said: "When we first went down that road, people may have thought we needed our heads examining.

"Many companies are now stating they have environmental policies but I'm afraid in some cases it is just window dressing."

The ethical policy was formulated to set out the types of businesses the bank would and would not offer services to -dictated by the concerns of its customers.

He said they are given a say by the bank in how their money is used and their input into the ongoing development of its policy and promoting a range of green services is encouraged.

The Midlands was chosen to test-bed the campaign because 67 per cent of customers showed they considered the environmental impact of how their money is used, ahead of the south west with 65 per cent.

One slogan says "stand up against climate change" -which echoes the bank's stance, which it says in turn influences its investment strategy.

Mr Collins said the ultimate aim was "of course" to attract new customers.

He said: "The idea is to prick people's consciences and to let them know that we, as a bank, have policies which will appeal to them and they can have a voice in those policies."

If the "stand up" campaign succeeds it may be rolled out nationally.

Sixteen Midlands Cooperative Bank branches will take part.

Mr Collins said: "This is a significant project designed to give The Co-operative Bank a more powerful, relevant and distinctive ethical brand in the Midlands, which goes hand in hand with ensuring we consistently have the best 'green' product offering.

The campaign is costing more than £1 million, he said.

This summer the Cooperative Bank opened its new "green" branch in Walsall.

The branch is powered by wind farm and hydro-electric sources.

It boasts recycled carpets, chairs and teller desks, organic wall paint and energy efficient lightbulbs.