NatWest launches green loans to help UK businesses go and grow greener

The new Green Loans proposition will offer borrowing with no arrangement fee to qualifying SMEs investing in eligible clean buildings, energy, transport and agriculture.

NatWest has announced it is launching green loans, and through Lombard, green asset finance propositions for qualifying SMEs, with no arrangement fee, to help them achieve their sustainability ambitions.

Following the announcement of the bank’s ambition to provide £100bn of Climate and Sustainable Funding and Financing to customers by the end of 2025, green loans and green asset finance are due to be open for applications from 18 February 2022. Together, these propositions aim to help qualifying SMEs finance the business assets to support their sustainability ambitions, such as solar panels, electric vehicles, or heat pumps on commercial buildings that fall within the eligible list developed by the bank on an ongoing basis.

Customers do not need to be existing NatWest customers to apply, and the green loan proposition will be available across NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Ulster Bank NI brands, whilst the Green Asset Finance will be available through the Lombard brand.

The new propositions are designed to open up opportunities for sustainable growth options for qualifying SMEs and reflect the societal benefit of delivering climate action. To apply, qualifying SMEs will work directly with a NatWest or Lombard Relationship Manager to discuss their needs and check their eligibility.

The announcement follows the publication of NatWest’s A Springboard to Sustainable Recovery report[1] last October, which found that the UK’s six million SMEs can achieve 50% of the UK’s Net Zero decarbonisation goals worth an estimated £160 billion revenue opportunity. However, the report found that less than 10% of SMEs currently see climate action as a source of future growth, and that SMEs lack access to support through funding, knowledge and training.

The new propositions will be open to applications from qualifying SMEs who want to acquire assets that fall within the eligible list developed by the bank from time to time, relating to:

●        Clean buildings: retrofits for buildings and low carbon heating measures

●        Clean energy: renewable energy generation and energy storage systems

●        Clean transport: electric vehicles

●        Agriculture: renewable technology, crops, livestock, forest respiration and conservation, marine and low emission management

Paul Thwaite, CEO of Commercial Banking, NatWest Group said: “Climate change is one of the biggest global challenges we face today, and SMEs have a critical role to play in helping the UK realise its green ambition. The reality is that while SMEs want to help by reducing emissions, they face many barriers doing so such as [limited] access to information, funding and training.”

“We’re working to remove these barriers with concrete actions - providing incentives, such as loans and asset financing that aim to support sustainability ambitions, and aim to benefit businesses whether they bank with NatWest or not.”

You can find out more on NatWest's website here.