Financing a sustainable future

Sustainability is one of the most important challenges the world today is facing, and banks are committed to face the challenge. The Net-Zero Banking Alliance is working to keep temperature increases under 1.5 degrees, through the careful investments of members of the Alliance, such as ING. Since 2018, ING has been working with clients to transform the most carbon-intensive parts of their portfolios, by financing low-carbon technologies, renewable energy and clean transport, for a sustainable future. As Head of ING Lease’s Riana Poupin points out, the company leads by example with ambitious targets by 2025 in order to reduce its own environmental footprint, by favouring public transport, decreasing energy consumption and optimizing the air renewal system. As a bank, ING has a role to play in financing and facilitating the shift to a more sustainable society.

Sustainable financing and leasing are a crucial part of reducing carbon emissions, the three main stakeholder being the customer, the government setting the framework and the bank for financing the activities and projects of their clients. To support investments in sustainability of their customers, banks offer sustainable leasing or loans to finance low carbon developments “The growing climate challenges ahead imply a deep change in the world and within the financial industry,” ING Head of Business Banking Marc Geib says. For ING, this involves a strong focus to carry and incite sustainable investments for supporting the ecological transition. For Leasing focus lies on financing sustainable asset classes such as electric vehicles or photovoltaic panels and our ambition is to launch an offer on sustainable Lending by yearend. By putting sustainability at the heart of its strategy, ING aims to be a pioneer in sustainable financing, setting an example for others.

Sustainable development requires significant changes, and ING is determined and committed to make that happen by helping customers to finance investments for becoming greener and accelerate their sustainable transition. Lending and Leasing in the right way can steer clients toward more sustainable behaviour, supported by political environment to encourage long-term sustainable investments. Banks have to face the fundamental issues, like how to measure environmental impacts so that customers can see the impact of their investments. But the challenge only makes ING staff more motivated. Their financial support for projects like Plant a tree in collaboration with the company Reforest’Action, planting trees in the Luxembourg and cross border region for every new signed credit or Leasing contract, as well as contribution to finance the sustainable transition in the local transport sector are part of the hard work of building a more sustainable future. All ING projects have measurable, identifiable, long term impacts that will help to shape a green future.

06/23