No War, No Weapons

NatWest Group actively finances nuclear weapons producers, providing $2.2 billion in loans in 2024

and over £2.3 billion in outstanding loans or underwriting activities to nuclear weapons companies as of January 2021. Its defense sector policy explicitly allows investment in nuclear weapons producers based in NATO countries (UK, US, France) , demonstrating a lack of divestment from these assets. This means the company cannot demonstrate zero exposure to controversial weapons and has not divested from a significant portion of defense-related assets. The company does have codified ethical red lines that prohibit financing of highly controversial weapons banned under international agreements ratified by the UK, including cluster munitions, anti-personnel landmines, biological and toxin weapons, chemical weapons, and blinding laser weapons. However, its divestment policy is loophole-ridden as it partially restricts investments in nuclear weapons producers but still allows and engages in significant financing of them. NatWest Group is a founding signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Banking and its Environmental, Social and Ethical (ESE) Risk Framework supports alignment with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Planet-Friendly Business

NatWest Group has SBTi-validated science-based targets

, committing to a 50% reduction in absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions by 2030 from a 2019 base year . The company achieved a 99.9% waste diversion rate from landfill in 2024 . A formal zero-deforestation policy prohibits funding to producers of deforestation risk-related commodities lacking sustainable certification by December 31, 2024 , with all 32 identified in-scope customers meeting these requirements . Climate-related financial disclosures are consistent with TCFD Recommendations and include climate scenario analysis . The company provides detailed disclosure of climate-affected assets, including £0.6 billion exposure to coal customers and £0.2 billion in reserve-based lending exposure as of December 31, 2024 , alongside an ambition for a global phase-out of coal by January 1, 2030 .

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

NatWest Group diverted 99.9% of its waste from landfill in 2024, utilizing energy recovery, recycling, or reuse.

The company has achieved a 60% reduction in waste since 2019. Waste reduction initiatives include optimizing waste services across UK mainland buildings, resulting in a 16.8-tonne reduction in waste compared to 2023, introducing new waste streams at data centers which improved their waste recycling rate by 30%, and reducing 16 million envelopes in 2024 due to a paperless program.