• Bank commits to a 90/10 green-brown financing ratio by 2028 and €240 billion in transition finance.
• Strategy anchored in ACT 2028, Crédit Agricole’s medium-term plan aimed at scaling sustainable finance while expanding internationally.
• New climate and nature initiatives strengthen the group’s position in low-carbon energy, adaptation, and biodiversity finance.

In a move aimed at reshaping the composition of its balance sheet and sending a clear message to regulators and investors ahead of tightening EU transition rules, Crédit Agricole has set a target to reach a 90/10 green-to-brown financing ratio by 2028. For every euro the bank facilitates for fossil-fuel activities, it plans to direct nine euros into low-carbon energy. The commitment sits at the centre of ACT 2028, the group’s newly released medium-term strategy that blends financial expansion, technological investment and a wider push into transition-related markets. The plan includes €240 billion in transition financing and €1 billion in sustainable finance revenue within corporate and investment banking.

The bank confirmed that its sector-specific decarbonisation pathways remain intact for oil and gas, power, automotive, aviation, steel, cement, maritime transport and commercial real estate. These pathways were originally set for 2030 and will now be supported by an expanded toolset that includes nature-based solutions, transition lending frameworks and new internal climate expertise.

Governance and the strategic context

The ACT 2028 plan places the transition agenda on equal footing with the bank’s commercial priorities, reflecting a broader shift within European financial institutions as regulators turn to green ratios, climate stress-testing and taxonomy-aligned disclosures.

The move also aligns with the bank’s ambition to grow its international footprint. By 2028, Crédit Agricole aims to generate nearly 60% of its revenue outside France, reach 60 million customers, and achieve a cost-income ratio below 55%. Executives described the sustainability commitments not as a standalone programme but as a structural element of the bank’s competitiveness.

Dominique Lefebvre, Chairman of Crédit Agricole S.A., said the plan responds to “societal, geopolitical and transitions-related shifts” and is rooted in the bank’s responsibility to clients and society. CEO Olivier Gavalda added that the group aims to be “a leader in transitions and new technologies,” particularly as low-carbon investment ramps up across Europe and Asia.

Transition financing and new climate platforms

The green-brown ratio target is reinforced by additional measures designed to expand the bank’s role in the transition economy. These include:

• €240 billion in transition financing through 2028.
• 600,000 home energy-efficiency renovations supported.
• Dedicated financing solutions for adaptation, circular economy and agri-food transitions.
• Expansion of responsible investment options across asset management and insurance.

Crédit Agricole also introduced the “Climate and Nature Force,” a network of internal specialists responsible for developing new climate and biodiversity products. Alongside this sits CA Capital Nature, a programme focused on nature-based solutions and monetising natural capital, beginning with forests. Both initiatives reflect a growing expectation that European banks will begin integrating biodiversity into risk frameworks and financing standards.

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Eric Campos, Chief Sustainability and Impact Officer, said the bank is shifting from mitigating impact to regenerating ecosystems. “In 2025, we are taking a decisive step forward. We are willing to move towards an economy that regenerates, rather than simply reducing negative impact,” he said.

A broader transformation agenda

Crédit Agricole’s transition commitments are paired with significant investment in technology, including a new Data Market Place, shared AI platforms and a digital identity business line. The bank plans to automate compliance, accelerate new product deployment and centralise group-wide KYC processes, aiming for a 50% efficiency gain.

Risk management reform forms another pillar of the strategy. The group intends to industrialise its risk processes, broaden cyber-resilience measures and deepen private-cloud capabilities to maintain strategic autonomy. Governance enhancements also extend to talent development: by 2028, half of the bank’s strategic talent pool is expected to be women, with all executives undergoing group-wide leadership development.

Implications for investors and C-suite decision-makers

For investors, the 90/10 green-brown ratio offers a clear yardstick for evaluating the bank’s exposure to fossil-fuel activities and its alignment with European taxonomy rules. The plan also suggests that Crédit Agricole sees transition-related lending as a growth engine rather than a compliance obligation. Portfolio rebalancing of this magnitude will push demand for renewable infrastructure, clean technologies, mobility electrification and energy-efficient housing solutions, especially across France, Italy, Germany and the bank’s expanding Asian markets.

The bank’s focus on nature-based solutions places it among a small but growing group of global institutions preparing for the integration of biodiversity into regulatory frameworks and capital markets, an area expected to accelerate following developments under the EU Nature Restoration Law and the global biodiversity framework.

A closing view: the regional and global relevance

Europe’s financial sector is moving into a new phase in which transition financing, green ratios and nature-aligned capital frameworks shape both strategy and profitability. Crédit Agricole’s ACT 2028 plan anchors the bank firmly within this shift. Its commitments respond to regulatory momentum in Brussels, investor scrutiny across global markets, and the rising expectation that banks serve as engines of the real economy’s transition.

By tying commercial expansion to climate and nature goals, Crédit Agricole is signalling how large universal banks may seek to balance growth and decarbonisation in the years ahead. The global relevance is clear: transition capital is becoming a core competitive arena, and banks with credible pathways, diversified portfolios and strong governance are best positioned to capture it.

Read Crédit Agricole S.A. strategic plan ACT 2028 here.

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