ABN AMRO’s impactful journey in the UK

Gerben Dragt, Country Executive of ABN AMRO UK, articulates the bank’s position: “In line with our purpose ‘Banking for better for generations to come’, we engage with clients to promote more sustainable business practices. We’re prepared to say no if we believe it’s in the client’s best interests or if a potential deal does not align with our sustainability ambitions.”

Intrinsic motivation

Central to ABN AMRO UK’s approach is a workforce deeply committed to the bank’s sustainability mission, as evidenced by the UK results of the bank-wide Employee Engagement Survey 2023. 92 percent of colleagues responded positively to the statement ‘I want to build a sustainable bank’, while 82 percent agreed with the statement ‘I understand what sustainability means in relation to my day-to-day work’.

Gerben notes that this intrinsic motivation has facilitated the embedding of sustainable practices into general operations. As a result, ABN AMRO UK has set itself apart from other institutions that may struggle to align their workforce with sustainability goals.

Focusing its services on 1,200 corporates and financial institutions with a turnover of between EUR 25 million and EUR 2.5 billion, ABN AMRO UK strategically targets those areas of the market where its institutional expertise can best add value for clients. This focus is supported by a dedicated team of 350 employees who are committed to providing specialist banking services that contribute to the sustainability transition in the corporate sector.

Sustainability journeys

In addition to engaging with clients on their sustainability strategies through the bank’s sustainability-linked lending products, ABN AMRO supported the structuring and distribution of the first green bond by a UK financial institution. Gerben says, “More than 40 percent of our loans to large corporates meet the bank’s internal sustainability acceleration standard. This not only exceeds the bank’s 2024 target, but also demonstrates our proactive stance on supporting sustainable finance.”

Gerben continues, “More and more of our clients are looking to make their operations more sustainable. ABN AMRO UK is committed to financing the transition to a more sustainable economy. To that end, we’re partnering with our clients on their sustainability journeys in sectors like social housing, new energies, mobility, digitalisation and food & retail. We also showcase a comprehensive, wide-ranging sustainability-linked offering of banking and investment products.”

Social inequality

The bank’s commitment to making a positive impact on society is also reflected in the voluntary work its employees do, including initiatives to tackle social inequality in the UK. These activities reflect ABN AMRO UK’s broader mission to create positive change and highlight the important role financial institutions can play to create a fairer, more sustainable world.

“ABN AMRO UK’s strategic focus on sustainability, together with its financing of sustainable projects, charts a path for integrating environmental and social considerations into the banking sector. It further embeds our purpose of ʻBanking for better, for generations to come’ in the organisation’s operations,” concludes Gerben. “Our highly engaged employees play a key role in making a difference here. Through our commitment and actions, ABN AMRO UK aims not only to position itself as a key player in the sustainability arena, but also to make a meaningful contribution to the broader environmental and social objectives in the UK and beyond.”