NatWest Launches New Transition Framework to Deliver $268 Billion in Climate Finance

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- NatWest has doubled its climate-related financing target to £200 billion between July 2025 and the end of 2030.
- The bank has introduced a new Climate and Transition Finance (CTF) Framework, expanding support to high-emission sectors like iron, steel, cement, and aviation.
- NatWest surpassed its previous £100 billion climate finance goal ahead of schedule, reaching £110 billion by Q2 2025.
NatWest Group has significantly expanded its climate strategy, announcing plans to provide £200 billion in climate and transition finance from July 2025 through 2030. This move reflects its intent to scale support for decarbonization across a broader range of industries, particularly those critical to the energy transition.
“Supporting the real economy… will require vast investment not only in those industries delivering climate solutions, but across a broader spectrum of industries, including hard-to-abate and emission-intensive sectors,” the bank stated.
To facilitate this shift, NatWest has introduced a new Climate and Transition Finance (CTF) Framework, which replaces its previous Climate and Sustainable Funding and Financing (CSFF) programme. The CTF Framework enables financing for sectors such as iron and steel, cement, and aviation, while also incorporating activities like nuclear power generation and gas with carbon capture and storage. Notably, social financing has been removed from this updated strategy.
CEO Paul Thwaite reaffirmed NatWest’s ongoing commitment to the Net Zero Banking Alliance, emphasizing the bank’s determination to remain aligned with science-based net-zero goals.
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James Close, NatWest’s Head of Climate Change, announced via LinkedIn that the bank had already exceeded its £100 billion target for climate and sustainable finance, reaching £110 billion by the second quarter of 2025.
The CTF Framework has undergone an independent external review by DNV Business Assurance Services UK Limited, providing a second-party opinion to ensure integrity and alignment with science-based pathways to net zero. NatWest noted that the definition of “transition” remains dynamic and will continue to evolve as new low-carbon solutions emerge.
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