Our climate impact

We continuously work to stop and counteract climate change in our operations, both direct and indirect

Handelsbanken’s climate and environmental impact

We play an important role in the transition to a more sustainable society and work actively to reduce both our own climate impact and that of our customers. Our transition plan, published in 2023, builds on our unique corporate culture and our commitment to contributing to both EU and domestic climate targets. Through advisory services, financing solutions and investments with clear sustainability criteria, we support our customers in their transition journeys. For more information about Handelsbanken’s work to reduce its environmental and climate impact, see the Bank’s Annual Report 2025.

Indirect impact

Most of the Bank’s impact occurs indirectly through our customers and business activities. More than 99 per cent of reported greenhouse gas emissions are found downstream in the value chain and are linked to our lending and asset management. Handelsbanken contributes to achieving EU and national climate targets by integrating climate-related risks and opportunities into governance, risk management and business development in line with the Bank’s decentralised business model. The transition plan describes the overall direction and structure of this work. The Bank is highly restrictive in granting credit related to fossil fuel extraction, and exposure is very limited.

The Bank reports financed emissions from corporate lending and real estate-related lending, corresponding to 94 per cent of total lending to the public. As a large share of our lending is linked to real estate, we analyse both physical climate risks, such as flooding and rising sea levels, and transition risks, for example through new energy-efficiency requirements. We also analyse scenarios in which the climate transition may affect the economy and conduct stress tests to assess how changes in the cost of greenhouse gas emissions could affect the Bank’s customers.

Within the Group, approximately SEK 1,284 billion was under management as of 31 December 2025. Of this, around 90 per cent is managed by Handelsbanken Fonder in Sweden. Handelsbanken Fonder uses scenario analysis to understand climate risks and has excluded investments in fossil fuels by limiting holdings in companies where more than 5 per cent of revenue comes from fossil fuel extraction or refining. Stress tests show that portfolios are resilient compared with global indices, and we continue to develop investment strategies that support the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Direct impact

We work to reduce our own climate impact and have a Group-wide target to reduce the sum of our own emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 50 per cent by 2030 compared with 2021 levels. Energy efficiency is an important tool for reducing climate impact in our own operations, and the Bank has also set a target to reduce energy use per square metre at the head office and internal departments in Sweden by an average of at least 2.5 per cent per year during the period 2023–2030. Since 2018, we have purchased 100 per cent renewable electricity for our operations and continuously work to reduce energy consumption in our offices across all home markets.

Reporting on climate, nature and biodiversity

Reporting is conducted in line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and guided by the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures.

Green Bond Impact Report 2024 (pdf 5.4 MB)

Handelsbanken Fonder – Climate work (pdf 1.8 MB)

Handelsbanken Fonder – Nature and biodiversity (pdf 1.9 MB)

Nature and Biodiversity progress report 2023 (pdf 11.5 MB)

Annual Report 2025 (pdf 6.2 MB)

Initiatives we support

In our effort to fight climate change we support a number of initiatives.

Our journey towards net zero

planting a tree eco friendly- Handelsbanken.se

Our ambition is to align our business activities with a 1.5°C scenario and achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in line with EU and national climate targets in our home markets. We plan to do this together with our customers and society at large.

Handelsbanken aims to reduce emissions from energy use in its own operations by 50 per cent by 2030 compared with 2021 levels. Handelsbanken Fonder aims to achieve net zero emissions in the total investment portfolio no later than 2040, in line with the Net Zero Investment Framework 2.0 (NZIF 2.0). The target covers Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. The fund company also has an interim target that 50 per cent of portfolio companies will be aligned with a net zero pathway by 2030.

Handelsbanken's Transition Plan (pdf 3.3 MB)

Sector Framework Fossil Energy (pdf 1.3 MB)

Method document financed emissions - lending (pdf)

Reducing our climate impact

During 2025:

Handelsbanken developed a Group-wide process for climate and transition dialogues in financing. The aim is to further strengthen the work to identify, measure and manage risks and opportunities related to the climate transition and clarify how the Bank can support corporate customers in their transition towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
UK operations introduced Sustainable Home Reward, providing customers with up to GBP 1,000 when a home meets criteria linked to energy performance class A or B. The initiative has been awarded “Pioneer status” by the UK Green Finance Institute.
Handelsbanken Fonder, in collaboration with a large Swedish real estate company, launched a green bond focusing on energy efficiency in high-energy-consumption properties (Energy Efficiency Bond).
Handelsbanken Fonder identified the companies responsible for 70 per cent of financed emissions, and climate dialogues were conducted with 17 of those not yet aligned with net zero.
The Bank reduced emissions from its own operations by 21 per cent compared with 2024 and by 18 per cent compared with the 2021 base year. Total reported carbon emissions from our own operations amounted to 6,582 tonnes.
Energy consumption in our own operations decreased by 7.5 per cent compared with 2024.
In Norway, work to certify bank offices with the Miljøfyrtårn environmental certification continued, with a further seven offices certified during 2025.

Through these initiatives, we strengthen both our own and our customers’ resilience to climate-related risks while contributing to the transition to a more sustainable economy. For more information about Handelsbanken’s work, see the Bank’s Annual Report 2025.