Environmental sustainability
ANZ is supporting its Institutional and Corporate customers in their transition through one of the largest economic shifts in our lifetimes – to a net zero economy.
The most important role we can play in enabling the transition to net zero is to support our customers to reduce emissions and enhance their resilience to a changing climate.
We support an orderly transition that recognises and responds to social, economic and environmental impacts of a net zero transition.
In order to do so, work is underway to encourage and support 100 of our highest-emitting customers to strengthen their low carbon transition plans and enhance their efforts to protect biodiversity.
We are also doing our bit, being Climate Active certified for our operations, setting higher targets for ourselves and improving our carbon disclosures.
Our response to climate change
ANZ and Pollination partner towards net zero
In 2022, ANZ and Pollination entered a strategic partnership aiming to support their customers as they transition to net zero. The partnership combines ANZ’s market-leading Institutional bank with Pollination’s deep climate and nature advisory and investment capabilities.
ANZ Hydrogen Handbook 2.0
An update on the global market for hydrogen and its adoption as both an energy source and feedstock into industrial processes.
Putting Energy Efficiency to Work
New research shows energy efficiency and electrification can deliver 40 per cent of Australia’s 2050 net zero target.
Our approach to environmental sustainability
We want to be the leading Australia and New Zealand-based bank in supporting customers’ transition to net zero emissions by 2050. Our environmental sustainability strategy identifies priority sectors, technologies and financing opportunities to help achieve our ambition.
Our approach commits us to a number of actions. They include:
- Fund and facilitate at least A$100 billion by the end of 2030 towards improving social and environmental outcomes for our customers. This includes initiatives that help lower carbon emissions, protect nature and biodiversity, increase access to affordable housing and promote financial wellbeing
- Encourage and support 100 of our highest-emitting customers to establish and publish low carbon transition plans and enhance their efforts to protect biodiversity
- We expect new customers or projects in the energy sector to disclose Paris-aligned business plans. This includes the extent to which their company strategy, emissions reduction targets and planned capital expenditure are aligned with the Paris goals
- Progressively developing metrics and targets for key sectors by 2024, in line with our Net Zero Banking Alliance commitment. We recently announced that we will align our lending to four new sectoral pathways and targets in oil and gas, aluminium, cement and steel. These are in addition to our two existing pathways and targets for power generation and large-scale commercial property
- Equipping our employees with a deeper understanding of climate risks and opportunities, focusing on our Institutional bankers in key priority sectors
- Reducing emissions from our operations, including a target to increase renewable energy use to 100% by 2025
Supporting our customers and the community
The carbon reduction challenge is a whole-of-economy issue impacting not only the energy sector, but transport, buildings and food and agricultural industries.
We understand that our customers have different starting points, challenges and environmental strategies, which is why our focus is to support an orderly transition. This aligns with our purpose to shape a world in which people and communities thrive.
We’re focused on ensuring that environmental sustainability is at the centre of our strategies, planning and decisions, and we will continue to support our customers as they navigate their way towards a low carbon economy.
It’s not easy being green,
but our future depends on it.
ANZ has played a key role in developing the Green, Social and Sustainability Bond and Loan markets across Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
ANZ was named Australian Sustainability Debt House of the Year, KangaNews Awards 2019-2022, reflecting our position as a clear leader in the sustainable finance sector in Australia.
We are a Green Bond Principles member and a Climate Bonds Initiative partner. We also participate in the Loan Market Association’s Green Loans Committee.
