Sustainability

In our experience, financial services have an important role to play in creating a healthy and sustainable world - not just by trying to be more sustainable ourselves by reducing our direct footprint, but also in the choices we make in lending, investing and the services we offer to our clients. Sustainability is integrated directly into the core of our business strategy.

ING’s Global Head of Sustainable Solutions Group, Jacomijn Vels, makes a case for companies and banks to work more closely and reach a common understanding in the pursuit of net zero

Clarity, connection and consistency: The key to unlocking sustainable finance

As we inch closer to the target years of global climate goals, the urgency of transitioning to net zero heats up. We mobilised €130 billion of sustainable financing in 2024, outperforming market growth and showing strong progress against our 2027 target of €150 billion per annum.

Sustainable finance: healthy growth for ING and global markets

In this interview-style podcast with companies, we dive into specific sustainability issues. We’re having a vulnerable and honest conversation about the dilemmas they face, how they change their business, and the people who help them get there.

Uncovered: Sustainability

The global economy relies on shipping. ING's Shipping team provides finance to top-tier international ship owners who own vessels across the dry cargo, tanker (including gas) and container segments. Curious about our participation in the industry and its developments?

Blue waters, green vessels: ING aims to be a catalyst for shipping decarbonization

There are two ways of looking at a bumpy road ahead. One is to focus on the unevenness of the surface. The other is to concentrate on the smooth areas of tarmac, in the knowledge that the car has successfully avoided many bumps already. This has been the position for renewable energy investment for most of 2024.

Putting muscle behind renewable energy’s push into 2030

ING Sustainable Finance Pulse

Sustainable finance issuance certainly saw some growth in 2024. Looking forward, our global head of Sustainable Solutions Group, Jacomijn Vels, says that there’s reason for both optimism and caution for 2025: “The beginning of this new year shows signs that the sustainable finance market is off to another positive start.”

ING Sustainable Finance Pulse - issue 5

Despite seeing a slowdown in ESG issuance last year, 2024 started on a positive note with the return of an average growth in the market, driven largely by the issuance of green bonds.

Sustainable Finance Pulse - Issue 2

We saw the increase in volume mobilised driven by sustainability-linked loans and green bonds. In addition to volumes from loans and bonds, we’ve also seen greater sustainable finance volumes in 2024 relating to commercial paper and guarantees, demonstrating our engagement with clients across a wider range of sustainable finance products.

ING Sustainable Finance Pulse - issue 4

The sustainable finance market was confronted with a decrease in 2023 from 2022. While the largest decrease was observed in sustainably-linked (S-L) instruments, green bonds saw an 11% increase year on year.

ING Sustainable Finance Pulse - Issue 1

Sustainable finance issuance was slightly slower in Q2 this year (2024), despite a rather active Q1. Global sustainable issuance totalled US$376bn in Q2 2024, which is lower than the average of a little over US$400bn seen in Q2 in the past few years. However, looking at global H1 issuance, pencilled in at US$815bn, this is in line with half year levels of the past few years.

ING Sustainable Finance Pulse - issue 3

Circular economy insights

Smurfit Kappa's Sustainability Chief Steven Stoffer explains why the days of greenwashing are numbered and how his company will deliver on more ambitious climate targets.

Smurfit Kappa Sustainability Chief: time to raise climate ambition and put an end to greenwashing

Monika Collée-Nussbaum is Global Director Communications and CSR at Teleplan International, she talks to us about what has driven the company to adopt a circular economy model, and outlines the factors helping to accelerate the growth of secondary consumer markets for electronic devices.

The rise of secondary markets in electronics

Does the general public care about a circular economy? Would they be willing to change their behaviors to help create closed-loop material cycles? And how might this impact businesses?

Are we shopping sustainably? Do we care?

Almost half (8.2 million tons) of the plastic used for packaging in Europe (20.5 million tons) is used to pack food, according to a new ING report: ‘Plastic packaging in the food sector - Six ways to tackle the plastic puzzle in the food sector’.

Six ways to tackle the plastic puzzle in the food sector

The circular economy is pitched as an answer to the world’s sustainability challenges – and more. How does circularity work? And is it actually achievable?

Turbo-charged sustainability: Is the future circular?

The circular economy is a highly popular topic but the transition towards it is a bumpy road. The global circularity level is even falling over time, with the amount of reused materials and resources decreasing. It is a narrative that needs an update.

New Narrative - towards a circular disruption

ING has invested in Black Bear Carbon (BBC), a company that recycles old tyres into a raw material used to make things like pen ink, smartphone covers and new tyres.

Going circular in the tyre industry

Plastic waste is set to triple by 2060, according to a new report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. But the world has woken up to the threat posed by the scourge of plastic pollution and is taking action.

Ridding the world of plastic

Dutch company Milgro is a leading technology and outsourcing partner for managing natural capital - facilitating its clients in using their resources in a more sustainable way.

Milgro - More return on resources

Joanna Drake, the Deputy Director-General for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Environment talks to us about why the electronics and fashion industries are key priorities for the Commission’s work on the circular economy, and why government, business and consumers must all play a part in Europe’s circular transition.

How Europe is accelerating circular models in electronics and fashion

Out with the old throwaway society, in with the new circular economy. Policymakers, academics and businesses agree, a new model is needed to tackle some of the world's major environmental challenges. But transitioning to this new model is itself fraught with challenges.

Rethinking the road to circular economy

People mostly agree on the biggest environmental challenges of our time and many say they already participate in a movement towards a circular economy by reusing and recycling resources, but our latest ING International Survey on Circular economy finds consumers think initiatives from businesses and structural changes are required.

Circular economy: Consumers seek help

Capital goods manufacture uses 6 billion tonnes of raw materials every year. How can it become more circular?