Protecting the planet has always been a fundamental part of our customer-led Ethical Policy, and a cause that needs more support than ever.
Unlike other banks, we haven’t financed the extraction or production of fossil fuels since 1998, and have been beyond carbon neutral for over 10 years. We also source all of our electricity from renewable sources, send zero waste to landfill, and refuse banking services to businesses involved in exploiting the world’s natural resources.
As the original ethical bank, we haven’t just developed an ethical approach— we’ve had one from the very start. But we aren’t stopping there.
We believe that businesses must play their part in enhancing biodiversity and protecting our planet against the climate-nature crisis.
That’s why we’re proud to be a Zero Hour Ambassador; backing the Climate and Nature Bill and standing united for nature.
The Climate and Nature Bill (formerly the Climate and Ecology Bill) is a piece of proposed legislation which aims to tackle the climate-nature crisis. It was first introduced in to the UK Parliament in 2020 by Caroline Lucas MP, with cross-party support.
The Bill was created as a response to an urgent need for stronger, aligning legislation to tackle climate and environmental emergencies. It’s the only proposed legislative plan that addresses the interconnections between the climate, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss, and sets a clear direction for change.
In support of the campaign, in 2021 ahead of the COP26 summit in Glasgow, our CEO, Nick Slape, joined fellow Zero Hour campaigners to present an open letter addressed to the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, at Number 10 Downing Street.
This letter called on the UK Government to take decisive action for the critical outcomes of the Bill to be agreed upon at the COP26 Summit; in order to tackle the climate-nature crisis we’re all facing.
In 2022, together with Zero Hour we hosted a joint reception in the House of Lords with Zero Hour, to galvanise further support for the Bill from across the political spectrum.
Back in 2006, our customers, who were already passionate about the environment, joined us in ‘The Big Ask’, a campaign led by Friends of the Earth for the Climate Change Bill, which then evolved into the Climate Change Act 2008.
But as the environmental landscape continues to change, it’s now time for new legislation that will reverse the climate and ecological breakdown we're facing. The Climate and Nature Bill would require the UK Government to take responsibility for its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, in an active attempt to restore biodiverse habitats, and stop further damage to our natural world through the production, financing, transportation, and disposal of goods we consume, globally.
The Climate and Nature Bill has been drafted by scientists, legal experts, ecological economists and environmentalists to do just that.
Alongside Zero Hour, and birder and activist, Dr Mya-Rose Craig, we’re proud to have signed the United for Nature petition, which was handed into Downing Street in June 2023. The petition calls on the Prime Minister to set a new, stronger and legally binding target to protect biodiversity and restore our natural world.
This campaign focuses on the nature target from the Climate and Nature Bill, requiring the UK Government to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. This target is critical to protect our planet, people and communities.
Together, with our colleagues, customers, and partners, we’ll continue to campaign alongside Zero Hour to drive positive environmental change. Whether it is raising awareness, lobbying MPs to take a stand to back the Bill, or using our voice for change; we’re passionate about protecting our planet.
The climate-nature crisis isn’t going to stop, so neither will we.
We encourage our customers to join us in making their voice heard.
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