BANK TRANSITION PLANS A ROADMAP TO NOWHERE

The report finds that none of the 20 largest European and UK banks have developed a robust climate transition plan, with an average score of 41/100. While banks have improved reporting and governance to meet regulatory requirements, they lack concrete decarbonization and engagement strategies, often continuing to finance fossil fuel development. The analysis highlights a significant gap between public net-zero commitments and actual business model shifts, warning that current disclosures are more 'ESG marketing material' than actionable transition plans.

• None of the 20 largest European and UK banks analyzed have developed a robust climate transition plan, with nearly all scoring below 50/100 and an average score of 41/100.
• Banks prioritize reporting and governance over actual strategy; the highest average score was in 'Reporting and governance' (70/100), while 'Decarbonization strategy' (29/100) and 'Engagement strategy' (20/100) were the lowest.
• Decarbonization targets are often vague, lack transparency in methodology, and are frequently disconnected from real-economy emissions or 1.5°C-aligned pathways.
• There is a critical lack of coherent decarbonization strategies, with almost all banks continuing to provide financial support for oil and gas development.
• Client engagement is largely reduced to offering sustainable finance products or advisory services, lacking clear goals, enforcement processes, or escalation strategies.
• Just transition and biodiversity are marginally addressed and not integrated into core climate strategies, with many banks ignoring these themes entirely.
• The report identifies 'cherry picking' and 'laundry listing' in bank disclosures, where insignificant transactions are highlighted to mask a lack of overall strategic shift.
• La Banque Postale is identified as the top performer (55.6/100), being the only bank with robust exclusion and phase-out policies for coal, oil, and gas.

APA

Etienne, C., & Schreiber, P. (2025). BANK TRANSITION PLANS A ROADMAP TO NOWHERE. Reclaim Finance. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Bank-transition-plans-a-roadmap-to-nowhere.pdf

Chicago

Etienne, Christophe, and Paul Schreiber. BANK TRANSITION PLANS A ROADMAP TO NOWHERE. Reclaim Finance, 2025. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Bank-transition-plans-a-roadmap-to-nowhere.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Etienne |first1=Christophe |last2=Schreiber |first2=Paul |title=BANK TRANSITION PLANS A ROADMAP TO NOWHERE |publisher=Reclaim Finance |date=April 2025 |url=https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Bank-transition-plans-a-roadmap-to-nowhere.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{etienne2025bank, author = {Etienne, Christophe and Schreiber, Paul}, title = {{BANK TRANSITION PLANS A ROADMAP TO NOWHERE}}, institution = {Reclaim Finance}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Bank-transition-plans-a-roadmap-to-nowhere.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }