ING accelerated its sustainability strategy in 2025 through large-scale sustainable finance mobilization, renewable energy investments, climate transition initiatives, and community impact programs. Led by Anne-Sophie Castelnau, Global Head of Sustainability, the bank continued integrating sustainability across its financing activities while supporting customers in their transition toward lower-carbon business models.
A major milestone during 2025 was the mobilization of €166 billion in sustainable transition financing. The funding supported renewable energy projects, sustainable infrastructure, electrification initiatives, energy-efficient technologies, and climate resilience programs.
Building on this momentum, ING has established a target to mobilize €150 billion in sustainable financing annually by 2027, reinforcing its commitment to accelerating capital flows into sectors that support global climate goals, ING sustainability report 2025 indicated.
ING also achieved an important industry first by becoming the first Global Systemically Important Bank to receive validation of its climate targets from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The validation confirms that ING’s emissions reduction pathway is aligned with a 1.5-degree Celsius climate scenario. Through its Terra framework, the bank monitors financed emissions across nine carbon-intensive sectors, including power generation, transportation, heavy industry, and energy production, helping assess portfolio alignment with climate objectives.
The bank continued reducing its exposure to fossil fuel financing. Since 2019, ING has achieved a 71 percent reduction in upstream oil and gas financing exposure and remains committed to reaching zero exposure by 2040.
During 2025, ING also achieved its target of reducing coal-fired power financing to near-zero levels. Further supporting the energy transition, the bank maintains a policy of providing zero new financing for liquefied natural gas export terminals.
Client engagement remained a key component of ING’s climate strategy. During the year, the bank evaluated approximately 2,000 corporate clients through assessments of their Client Transition Plans. These reviews measured whether corporate strategies align with credible pathways toward net-zero emissions by 2050 and helped identify opportunities to support emissions reductions across carbon-intensive industries.
Renewable energy financing continued to be one of the strongest contributors to ING’s sustainability performance. The bank allocated €9.6 billion to renewable power generation projects during 2025, helping expand clean energy capacity and accelerate global decarbonization efforts. These investments contributed to an 85 percent reduction in financed emissions intensity per kilowatt-hour generated since 2018, demonstrating the impact of shifting financing toward cleaner electricity generation.
ING expanded access to sustainable finance through innovative lending products designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions. The Green Upgrade Loan supports investments in solar panels, battery storage systems, and heat pumps for homeowners. The Business Green Upgrade Loan provides financing for commercial solar projects, electrification upgrades, and energy-efficiency improvements. ING also partnered with BOOM! Power to launch the Home Energy Helper platform, enabling customers to assess renewable energy opportunities, calculate potential financial returns, and identify practical energy-saving measures.
Alongside environmental initiatives, ING continued investing in social sustainability and community resilience programs. Through its partnership with Women’s Community Shelters, the bank funded the construction of five new crisis safe havens across New South Wales, providing support and protection for vulnerable individuals and families.
Employee participation in community initiatives remained strong. More than 100 employees contributed a combined 3,256 volunteer hours during the year, supporting charitable organizations and local community programs. ING also promoted social inclusion through procurement partnerships with certified Indigenous enterprises, including environmental restoration and native flora initiatives led by IndigiGrow.
ING’s sustainability performance in 2025 highlights the growing role of banks in financing the global energy transition and supporting climate action.
Key achievements included mobilizing €166 billion in sustainable transition financing, establishing a €150 billion annual sustainable finance target by 2027, investing €9.6 billion in renewable energy projects, becoming the first Global Systemically Important Bank with SBTi-validated climate targets.
ING said it monitored financed emissions across nine carbon-intensive sectors, reducing upstream oil and gas financing exposure by 71 percent since 2019, maintaining a target of zero exposure by 2040, achieving near-zero coal-fired power financing.
ING implemented a zero-financing policy for new LNG export terminals, evaluating approximately 2,000 client transition plans, achieving an 85 percent reduction in financed emissions intensity since 2018, funding five crisis safe havens, and generating 3,256 volunteer hours through the participation of more than 100 employees.
SHAFANA FAZAL
