NatWest Group is a UK-based retail and commercial bank headquartered in Edinburgh.
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NatWest has cut operational emissions 66% since 2019 and achieved 100% renewable electricity, but undermined these gains by voluntarily withdrawing SBTi validation in 2025 and weakening oil & gas lending policy in February 2026. Fossil fuel financing rose 31% year-on-year; financed emissions remain the dominant unresolved impact.
NatWest Group scores 40/100 (Below expectations) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Fees pay for the review, never the result. Last verified October 2026.
That places NatWest Group joint 366th of 847 companies scored, and joint 15th of 51 in Financial Services / Banking.
Where NatWest Group sits among financial services / banking peers.
Among the 51 major financial services / banking brands we've scored, NatWest Group is tied =15th of 51, with 2 others.
Its three lowest-scoring questions, and what the evidence didn't show.
No comprehensive circular economy programme or verified targets published.
No water pollution incidents identified.
Company acknowledges nature approach 'not as mature as climate.' No quantified TNFD disclosure across loan book.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Evidence that isn't public can count through an evidence review.
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Get in touch →Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Energy Source (8/10, 8/10). Weakest on Resource Use & Waste and Water Impact (4/10, 4/10).
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above NatWest Group.
Starling Bank reports low operational emissions but excludes financed emissions entirely—the material impact for any lender.
See the breakdown →TSB shows basic operational carbon management but critical gaps in financed emissions disclosure and supply chain accountability.
See the breakdown →ICG has delivered measurable operational decarbonisation—85% Scope 1+2 reduction, SBTi-validated targets, 100% renewable electricity—but material financed emissions lack absolute quantification.
See the breakdown →NatWest Group's score has moved from 47 to 40 across 3 recorded reviews, down 7 points.
Founded-year rule, score unchanged. founded 2000 -> 1968: Companies House SC045551 NATWEST GROUP PLC, incorporated 1968-03-25 as National and Commercial Banking Group Limited (renamed The Royal Bank of Scotland Group 1979, NatWest Group plc 2020; https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC045551). Roots 1727 confirmed on NatWest Group's heritage hub, "Founding charter, 1727" (https://www.natwestgroup.com/heritage/history-100/objects-by-theme/turning-points/founding-charter-1727.html).
Aggregator-citation sweep: broker citations replaced with the primary disclosures they mirror, re-scored through the guarded pipeline under pinned code 9196601.
Initial score at platform launch
The formula and all 12 sources.
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale12 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
“Scope 1 · 0.01 MtCO2e · Natural gas and fuel; Scope 2 (location-based) · 0.05 MtCO2e”
“details the scope, approach and controls relating to the sustainability metrics included within EY's 2024 Sustainability Limited and Reasonable Assurance Engagement”
“Nine of these sectors have been included within the scope of EY's assurance”
“161 suppliers were deemed net-zero-aligned, representing 44% of 2025 supply chain emissions of 0.3 MtCO2e”
“In 2025 we achieved a 66% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions against the 2019 baseline and a 47% reduction in Scope 3 emissions”
“We have also achieved our energy productivity (EP100), electric vehicles (EV100) and renewable energy (RE100) commitments”
“Deforestation risk-related commodities requiring certification under our FFA E&S RAC include raw wood/timber, lumber, pulp and paper, natural rubber and latex, palm oil, soy, cocoa, coffee, leather and beef”
“NatWest Group is helping to drive collective action on nature and biodiversity through number of exploratory collaborative groups including but not limited to: The Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)”
“we recognise that our approach to nature-related risk is not as mature as our approach to climate-related risk”
“NatWest provided $9.6 bn in financing to the fossil fuel industry between 2021 and 2024. In 2024 only, NatWest provided $2.7 bn, including $1.3 bn for oil, gas and coal companies expanding fossil fuels”
“NatWest, for one, helped BP raise almost $500m last year in an apparent breach of its climate commitments”
“NatWest Group appears to be actively engaged on climate policy in the UK, taking supportive positions on both climate-related financial policies and policies impacting the real economy”
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
NatWest Group is a UK-based retail and commercial bank headquartered in Edinburgh. The current company was incorporated in 1968, and its roots go back to 1727, when the Royal Bank of Scotland was founded. It operates across personal finance, business banking, and investment services across the UK and Republic of Ireland, serving millions of retail and corporate customers. A major player in UK deposit-taking and lending.
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