• $1 Billion by 2025: Standard Chartered expects to generate nearly $1 billion in income from sustainability-focused business initiatives by 2025, a year ahead of its initial target.
• $300 Billion Commitment: The bank has pledged to mobilize $300 billion in green and sustainable financing by 2030, solidifying its leadership in global climate finance.
• Net-Zero Transition Support: Despite global political challenges, StanChart remains committed to facilitating a net-zero economy.

Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters projected that the bank will generate close to $1 billion in income from its sustainability-focused operations in 2025. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Winters emphasized the bank’s commitment to helping clients achieve sustainability goals.

“A couple of years ago, we gave the guidance externally we’d make a billion dollars of income by 2026, and we’ll be pretty close to that in 2025,” said Winters.

The UK-based lender has positioned itself as a leader in climate finance, having committed to mobilizing $300 billion for green initiatives by 2030. Winters underlined the profitability of sustainable financing:

“It’s a profitable business, so I don’t want to sound too mercantilist about it, but we do the right thing, and we get paid for it. It’s kind of win, win.“

Navigating Challenges:

Winters acknowledged the rise of anti-ESG sentiment, particularly in the U.S., but reaffirmed the global momentum toward sustainability.

“In the long run, it is pretty clear we need to disgorge ourselves from fossil fuels,” Winters noted, adding that banks and oil-producing countries continue to broadly support the transition to a net-zero economy.

Despite setbacks such as U.S. and Canadian banks leaving the U.N.-backed Net-Zero Banking Alliance, StanChart remains a member and is closely monitoring evolving dynamics, according to a spokesperson.

Related Article: Standard Chartered Introduces ESG-Linked Cash Account

Context Matters:

Winters’ remarks coincided with U.S. political shifts, including Donald Trump’s return to office and his commitment to expand fossil fuel production. However, even during Trump’s prior term, market economics drove significant clean energy growth.

For instance, Texas—a Republican stronghold—led a surge in solar and wind energy expansion in 2020, underscoring the resilience of the clean energy boom amid political headwinds, according to U.S. government data.

Standard Chartered’s steadfast focus on sustainability positions it to thrive in an evolving financial landscape, proving that green initiatives can drive both impact and profit.

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