• Lloyds Bank establishes a dedicated practice to guide businesses on voluntary carbon credits and nature-based climate solutions.
• The initiative aims to address transparency concerns in the voluntary carbon market and help clients meet science-based net-zero goals.
• The practice strengthens Lloyds’ broader sustainability advisory offering, now serving over 1,000 major corporate clients.

Lloyds Bank has launched a Voluntary Carbon and Nature Markets (VCNM) practice within its Business and Commercial Banking unit, marking a strategic step to help clients navigate the growing complexity of carbon credit markets and nature-based solutions.

Based in London, the new practice forms part of Lloyds’ broader Sustainability & Client Advisory division, which was established in 2021 and currently supports over 1,000 of the bank’s largest clients in integrating environmental strategies into their business models.

The VCNM practice will be co-led by Lloyds veterans Emily Martin and Gabriella Carden. Their focus will be on identifying credible carbon offset opportunities, embedding nature-based solutions into client climate strategies, and aligning efforts with science-based targets.

“With deep expertise in sustainable finance, Emily and Gaby will help our clients engage effectively in voluntary carbon and nature markets – a growing part of the UK’s clean growth strategy,” said Hannah Simons, Head of Sustainability at Lloyds Corporate Markets.

The move comes in response to increasing demand for high-quality, verifiable carbon offsets and growing regulatory and stakeholder pressure on companies to demonstrate credible pathways to net-zero.

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Lloyds aims to play a key role in shaping the future of the UK’s voluntary carbon market by bringing due diligence, transparency, and credibility to the space—addressing concerns around greenwashing and inconsistent standards.

As the UK explores expanding its carbon market mechanisms, this new practice underscores the financial sector’s growing role in delivering climate finance solutions and restoring natural ecosystems through scalable, science-backed initiatives.

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