ABN AMRO finances more than 10% of the total number of square metres of the built-up environment in the Netherlands. This is reflected in its balance sheet by a total of EUR 185 billion in outstanding loans for residential and commercial property, which is two-thirds of the bank’s loan portfolio. In a bank-wide initiative, ABN AMRO wants to join forces with its commercial and retail clients to improve the energy efficiency of its entire real estate portfolio to an average of label A by 2030. ABN AMRO is the first major Dutch bank to commit to a bank-wide ambition to make the residential and commercial property it finances more sustainable.

Kees van Dijkhuizen, CEO of ABN AMRO: “We want to contribute to a better environment, a healthier society and a more sustainable economy. Climate change is one of the biggest challenges the Netherlands faces today. ABN AMRO is a major financer of residential and commercial property. If we work together with our clients to make all those buildings more sustainable, we can have a major impact. We are considered a frontrunner in making commercial real estate more sustainable. We want to broaden our horizon; our aim is to improve our real estate portfolio to an average of energy label A by 2030.”

Carbon reduction

The built-up area in the Netherlands produces 40% of the country’s total carbon emissions. Combined, all the properties financed by ABN AMRO emit approximately 6 megatonnes of CO₂ per year. Together with its clients, ABN AMRO can make residential and commercial property more sustainable and reduce that volume to around 4 megatonnes per year as from 2030. This reduction of around 2 megatonnes per year is equivalent to the annual carbon emissions produced by almost 800,000 cars.

Approach
ABN AMRO wants to facilitate its clients in this process. Commercial clients can find out how to boost the sustainability of buildings through an online tool and personal advice. If they want to make their property more sustainable, the bank will then finance 100% of the investment. Retail clients can use the newly introduced Energy Saving Check to learn about the benefits of a more sustainable home and what the possibilities are. ABN AMRO also offers personal advice about improvements; in some cases, clients might be eligible for a 0.2% discount on their mortgage interest, and the bank will arrange the financing. ABN AMRO will use the years ahead to develop more new initiatives for all its clients.

At present, 89% of the properties that ABN AMRO owns have energy label A. By 2023, the bank wants all of its premises – leased and owned – to have energy label A.

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