Barclays’ Climate Change Statement highlights decarbonization requirements for energy clients

Barclays’ Climate Change Statement highlights decarbonization requirements for energy clients
11 / 02 / 2024
By Marwa Nassar - -

Barclays has published a revised Climate Change Statement to progress its climate strategy and continues its focus on clients actively engaged in the energy transition.

Following Barclays’ commitment to finance $1trillion of Sustainable and Transition Finance by 2030, Barclays also releases a Transition Finance Framework to support meeting that target and facilitate the transition finance needed to decarbonise high-emitting sectors.

The updated Climate Change Statement highlighted that no project finance, or other direct finance to energy clients, for upstream oil and gas expansion projects or related infrastructure.

It also underlined restrictions for new energy clients engaged in expansion as well as restrictions on non-diversified energy clients engaged in long lead expansion.

It also highlighted additional restrictions on unconventional oil and gas, including Amazon and extra heavy oil.

It also underscored requirements for energy clients to have 2030 methane reduction targets, a commitment to end all routine / non-essential venting and flaring by 2030 and near-term net zero aligned Scope 1 and 2 targets by January 2026.

It also offered expectation for energy clients to produce transition plans or decarbonization strategies by January 2025.

In the International Energy Agency NZE scenario, new long lead time upstream oil and gas projects are not required on a 1.5°C-aligned pathway. For current and future (declining) global demand to be satisfied, investment is needed to support existing assets while clean energy is scaled. Barclays understands the critical importance of energy being secure, reliable and affordable for our customers and clients.

Barclays will continue to support an energy sector in transition, focusing on the diversified energy companies investing in low carbon and with greater scrutiny on those engaged in developing new oil and gas projects.

The scale of the bank’s business offers an opportunity to help finance the energy transition; to use its global reach, products, expertise and position in the global economy to work with its clients, including those in the energy sector, as they transition to a low-carbon business model.

This policy is an important lever for reducing its financed emissions and has been informed by engagement with stakeholders – shareholders, clients, climate experts and civil society groups, including ShareAction. Barclays is committed to continue to engage regularly with its stakeholders as its climate strategy evolves in light of the rapidly changing external environment.

Capital is critical to delivering the energy transition with at least $4.3trillion of climate finance needed annually by 2030.  Barclays has also published a Transition Finance Framework outlining the criteria for transition finance transactions which will also be included towards Barclays’ target to facilitate $1trillion of Sustainable and Transition Finance between 2023 and by the end of 2030.  

Barclays continues to invest in the talent and expertise to provide clients with the capabilities and guidance needed to support their transition and recently announced the creation of a new Energy Transition Group in the Corporate and Investment Bank, led by Mike Cormier, Global Head of the Energy Transition Group.

Laura Barlow, Group Head of Sustainability, said, “Addressing climate change is a critical and complex challenge. We continue to work with our energy clients as they decarboniZe and support their efforts to transition in a manner that is just, orderly and addresses energy security. Today we strengthen our commitment to the energy transition, with policies that will focus our capital and resources to the energy companies that play a key role in the transition.”

Daniel Hanna, Head of Sustainable Finance, Corporate and Investment Bank, added, “Capital is critical to the energy transition, to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors for the world to reach net zero emissions and create a resilient economy. As the number two ranked clean energy advisor globally by BloombergNEF, Barclays is strongly positioned with our capabilities and experience, global reach and role in the global economy to accelerate the investment needed for real-world decarbonization, while supporting our energy clients’ transition.

“Publishing our Transition Finance Framework reinforces our commitment to be transparent in how we are mobilizing $1trillion of Sustainable and Transition Finance by the end of 2030 while Barclays continues to be a leading global clean energy adviser and financier, unlocking growth from the energy transition.”

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