Addressing climate change
Addressing climate change is an urgent and complex challenge. It requires a fundamental transformation of the global economy, so that society stops increasing the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Sustainability for business
Helping businesses transition to a low-carbon economy
By working together, we can help reduce emissions and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Supporting SMEs
Our Head of Business Banking, Hannah Bernard OBE, explains how we’re supporting all types of SMEs to make their businesses more sustainable.
How to get started
Learn how you can get started on your journey towards a more sustainable business.
Hannah Bernard OBE, Head of Business Banking
“We’re passionate about providing help and support to our one million clients on their journey to become more sustainable and help the UK reach its net zero target.”
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Things for you to consider
Changes you might want to consider
Supply chains
Find out how your supply chains will need to change to support the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Regulations
Learn about upcoming regulations that might affect your current and future business decisions.
Consumer behaviour
Understand how consumers are changing their behaviour to become more sustainable and what this means for your business.
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What we can do to help
Find out how we could help your business become more sustainable
Propel asset finance
Finance your assets with Barclays and Propel – find out how this flexible finance option can power your business1.
Borrowing for all businesses
Discover the products to suit your business, from loans for buying new equipment to flexible mortgages.
Sustainable Impact Capital Programme
Our Sustainable Impact Capital Programme, has a mandate to invest up to £175m of equity capital in sustainability-focused start-ups by 2025, helping to accelerate our clients’ transition towards a low-carbon economy.
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Changes you can make
Helping you on your journey to a more sustainable future
If you need help with your finances, select ‘How we help’ to find out how we can support you.
Electric Vehicles (EVs)
If you’re thinking about changing from diesel or petrol to electric vehicles, we can help your business with our finance options.
Did you know?
By switching to EVs you could reduce your overall fuel and maintenance costs, and eliminate your congestion zone and ultra-low emissions costs completely. You can also get free parking for EVs in some UK cities.
Small-scale solar panels
You might want to think about moving to small-scale solar panels to reduce your business emissions. Take a look at our finance options to see how we can help you achieve this goal.
Did you know?
You could reduce your emissions by going off grid and running your operations with solar power, or maybe run some parts of your business with renewable energy.
Switching to LED lighting
If you use halogen light bulbs and you’d like to save on your energy bills by changing to LED lighting, we can help you finance this.
Did you know?
LED bulbs last five times longer than halogen bulbs and use up to 80% less power.
Electric cargo bikes (e-cargo)
Have you thought about switching to e-cargo bikes to help reduce your business emissions? If so, our finance options could help you.
Did you know?
With an e-cargo bike, you pay zero congestion zone and ultra-low emissions costs. This is why they’re becoming a popular choice for businesses to transport goods quickly and efficiently across towns and cities.
Electric charging points
If you’re thinking about electric vehicles for your business, you’ll also need to think about how to charge them. We could help your business cover these extra costs with our finance options.
Did you know?
To charge your EVs or e-cargo bikes, you’ll need a new electric charging infrastructure which means you can reduce your business emissions.
Electric boilers
If your gas and oil boilers are on their way out and you’re thinking of upgrading to electric boilers or other energy efficient alternatives, you should take a look at our finance options.
Did you know?
Switching to electric boilers could help you reduce your business emissions and improve your EPC building ratings.
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Our customer stories
Manufacturing – Grantham Manufacturing Ltd
When Grantham Manufacturing got in touch to have an in-depth discussion with one of our relationship managers, we were keen to support them. After their building was rebuilt following a fire, we helped them install 272 solar panels on their roof, and the Lincolnshire-based business now generates 58% of its yearly electricity needs through solar energy.
They’ve also installed extra features such as LED lighting to reduce electricity demand and improve working conditions, and have added ground source heating across their production floor. They’ve even added a water-cooled air compressor that harnesses the heat generated by compressing air and directs it into the ground source system. The complete system is generating savings, has a payback period of nine years and has reduced the operating time of their heat pump by 35% (which equates to saving 21p per hour of heating the factory) – supporting Grantham Manufacturing to reduce both their building and business’s carbon footprint.
Agriculture – The Torpenhow Cheese Company
Mark and Jenny Lee, owners of The Torpenhow Cheese Company, got in touch with us to discuss their two-year plan to becoming an organic farm. To make this change, they needed to focus on the health of the soil and make sure their cows got all the nutrients they needed from the grass and clovers.
We were able to support them with capital along the way, so that they could invest in converting to an organic, grass-based system. We also helped them build a cheese store on the farm, which met the high standards required of a certified organic farm, and they were ready to sell their first organic cheese at the start of the first lockdown.
Not only have they attracted new customers in the area, they also sell their produce at local markets, which has really helped increase their sales. Being aware of consumer sustainability trends has helped their company grow, and they’ve now hired three more cheesemakers
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Get started with us today
Start your net zero journey with us today
I’m new to Barclays business banking
Call us on 0800 515 4626 to see how we could help. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm (excluding bank holidays). We’ll need to see certain identification documents and financial statements when you apply.
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Additional support from us
Additional support for businesses
How to get started
Learn how you can get started on your journey towards a more sustainable business.
Barclays Eagle Labs
Our four videos will help you learn why becoming sustainable is so important for startups.
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Steps we’ve already taken
Steps we’ve taken to help you switch to a more sustainable future
Colleague training
In 2021, over 2,500 of our business banking colleagues undertook a number of sustainability e-learning modules. Now they’re even better prepared to help support businesses reach their sustainability journeys and ambitions.
Unreasonable Impact
We’ve partnered with Unreasonable Group to create Unreasonable Impact. This is a series of helpful programmes that supports growth-stage entrepreneurs, who may employ thousands of people worldwide, and aims to help solve some of the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges.
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Other useful information
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Corporate sustainability
Read our latest insights on the role that businesses can play in fighting climate change, and how environmental sustainability and commerciality can go hand in hand.
