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RBC to improve renewable energy lending to reach environment objectives

Royal Bank of Canada strategies to triple loans for renewable energy to C$ 15. billion ($ 11 billion) by 2030 as part of its efforts to attain. net absolutely no emissions in its loaning practices by 2050, Canada's. biggest bank stated on Wednesday.

RBC has come under attack by climate activists for being one. of the most significant fossil fuel financiers.

Aiming to 2024, we're accelerating our technique to fund. the energy sources required to build a net-zero economy by. stepping up our focus on low-carbon energy advancement, CEO. Dave McKay said in its climate report.

The Toronto-based bank stated it likewise prepares to increase its. low-carbon energy loaning to C$ 35 billion and assign C$ 1. billion by 2030 to funds and business that are helping customers. achieve their climate objectives.

RBC's impressive loans to the oil and gas sector stood at. about C$ 5.58 billion at the end of January, down about 8% from a. year earlier. A report by not-for-profit group InfluenceMap on Wednesday. stated that Canada's huge 5 banks increased their fossil fuel. financing direct exposure to 18.4% in 2022 from approximately 15.5% in. 2020, to an overall of $275 billion.

That compares with approximately 6.1% for leading United States banks. and 8.7% for European banks across the same duration.

RBC said it has actually established a new decarbonization financing. classification to accelerate capital implementation to emissions decrease. efforts in high-emitting sectors.

Jennifer Livingstone, RBC's vice president of climate, stated. the bank's measures will assist clients cut emissions and provide. capital to innovative environment options.

RBC stated Scope 1 physical emissions intensity has actually decreased. relative to the 2019 baseline due to its efforts to increase. lending in the power generation sector to clients with sustainable. and other low-carbon energy sources.

It said 79% of its energy sector clients have actually set shift. plans and 48% have actually achieved the minimum requirements.

RBC noted that aligning to the global goal, embeded in the. 2015 Paris Arrangement on climate change, of restricting temperatures. to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels was. challenging. Only 2% of the oil and gas sector and 34% of power. generations sector are lined up with 1.5 degrees, it noted.

RBC has actually taken a small advance with their commitment to. triple low carbon energy funding by 2030. However this is significantly. insufficient provided the bank's continued level of funding of. unclean coal, oil and gas which was at $37 billion in 2023, stated. Richard Brooks, a climate finance director at ecological. organization Stand.earth.

(source: Reuters)