Sustainable business
ING finances today’s society, which means we do also finance things that aren't sustainable. But we’re working to put sustainability at the heart of what we do. As a bank, we believe our role is to facilitate and finance society’s shift to sustainability. In other words: contribute to progress – environmental, economic, and social.
The road to net zero brings many opportunities – such as the creation of new jobs and the financing of new energy technology areas, such as hydrogen, carbon capture and energy storage. ING aims to be a leader in financing this change with our innovative sustainable finance solutions. We see this as an opportunity to use our experience and knowledge to support clients with their transition to a net zero world.
ING’s Sustainable Finance team pursues sustainable business opportunities within ING Wholesale Banking, identifying sustainable clients and deals. The team takes a broad approach, going beyond the idea that sustainability simply means a few people lending to a few renewable energy projects.
The team supports a range of clients in achieving their sustainability goals—those with a strong sustainability track record, an ambitious agenda, or that are addressing resource scarcity and seeking financing for sustainable deals in renewable energy, green buildings, waste management or water.
We also finance energy projects, from wind farms, solar energy, and geothermal power production; to energy efficiency in buildings and production lines; to electric vehicles and bio-based plastics; to (waste) water treatment and supply and circular economy solutions. This supports our clear approach to climate action.
In Retail Banking, we aim to help customers transition to a low-carbon environment. It is our goal to have sustainable alternatives for our main retail products by end 2025. A few examples of our 2024 initiatives are ING Upgrader at ING Netherlands, Home Energy Helper at ING Australia and Wohnkredit Energy at ING Germany.
Our Environmental and Social Risk (ESR) Framework aims to ensure that environmental and social risks are properly identified, assessed, and mitigated. The ESR Framework is regularly revised to reflect ING’s risk appetite, organisational changes, market changes and/or regulatory demands.
ING also supports the transition to a circular economy, which we see as fundamental to help achieve global climate goals.