Our strategic vision for sustainability is to be the preferred financial partner in the Nordic transition to net zero – transitioning and growing together with our customers. Sustainability is integrated into our Group strategy, with related strategic priorities organised around four themes: climate and energy, financial well-being and inclusive and safe societies. Our long-term commitment is to become a net zero emissions bank by 2050.
Our sustainability targetsFor the strategy period 2026–2030 we will continue building on our strong foundation to capture opportunities and become even more resilient. To meet our ambitions under our sustainability themes, we have identified three focus areas where we can make a difference through our financing, investments and internal operations:
Support customers’ transition as a leading provider of sustainable and transition finance.
Actively engage with customers, investee companies and stakeholders to manage impacts, address risks and enable the transition.
Further integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into our core processes to strengthen our risk management practices and build long-term stability.
The focus areas are underpinned by these sustainability themes that are of central importance to our employees, customers and the Nordic societies: climate and energy, nature, financial well‑being, and inclusive and safe societies. This ensures that our strategic priorities and customer support are aligned with the areas where our contribution can have the greatest impact.
We support our customers’ transitions and partner with the broader community to enable development for a climate- resilient economy.
We leverage our scale and size to build financial expertise on nature-related risks and impacts and engage on finance supporting the protection of nature.
We encourage sound financial practices and help create financial well-being by fostering inclusion, literacy and confidence.
We promote financial stability and respect human rights while committing to continuous progress.
As the largest financial services group in the Nordics, we take responsibility for mitigating potential negative impacts associated with our business activities and contributing to positive societal impacts and financial stability. The work continues in our new strategy period, guided by existing and new sustainability targets in the run-up to 2030.
Find all our sustainability targets hereOur strategic vision for 2030 is to be the preferred financial partner in the Nordic transition to net zero.
In our 2022–25 strategy period we made strong progress on our sustainability agenda:
Net zero is a term used when talking about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including CO₂ emissions.
The term “net-zero emissions” refers to making sure that the same amount of greenhouse gases emitted are also removed from the atmosphere, making the net contribution of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere zero.
Financed emissions are the greenhouse gas emissions linked to the investment and lending activities of financial institutions, specifically the emissions produced by the companies a bank invests in and lends money to. At Nordea, our largest climate challenge and impact come from these indirect emissions, which in 2023 represented 99.9% of our total greenhouse gas footprint.
Financial literacy is about having the right combination of awareness, knowledge, skill, attitude and behaviour to make sound financial decisions and ultimately achieve financial wellbeing. It’s about understanding various financial concepts, products and risks, and applying this knowledge in real-life situations.
Sustainable finance
Nordea’s Renewable Energy & Infrastructure Financing initiative supports pioneering clean energy ventures, from the world’s first commercial e-methanol plant to offshore wind, solar parks and digital infrastructure.
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Sustainability
Nature credits are market-based instruments designed to create economic incentives for conservation, restoration and sustainable management of natural resources. In practice, this means that when a company, an organisation or a government buys a credit, the money is used to fund projects that benefit nature.
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Business growth
Nordea has partnered with the European Investment Fund (EIF) for several years to strengthen the growth and competitiveness of small and medium-sized businesses in the Nordic region. The EIF guarantee helped UpCloud access financing for projects that promote sustainability and innovation.
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