Australians famously love the outdoors and are fortunate to have plenty of bush and beaches to enjoy with loved ones. We are blessed with a unique plants, animals, and landscapes, many of which can be found nowhere else on the planet.
Yet Australia continues to be a world-leader in mammal extinctions and a deforestation hotspot.
Something is not right. We have to take action.
When it comes to stopping the devastation, banks play a critical role since they finance both the causes of – and solutions to – nature destruction.
Across the financial sector, there has been progress in assessing nature-related risks. But there's still a long way to go for Australian banks to stop nature destruction in their lending portfolios and support nature restoration instead.
If you're a customer of ANZ, NAB, or CommBank, or simply passionate about protecting nature, please use this page to send the worst-offending banks an email, telling them they can do better by:
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Developing and implementing comprehensive policies to protect nature: Enshrine commitments to stop bulldozing and restore nature in robust policies.
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Stopping financing projects that bulldoze nature: This includes lending to industries or companies who run projects that cause or contribute to deforestation and habitat destruction.
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Committing to funding nature restoration: Prioritize lending to projects and businesses that actively restore and protect nature, thereby supporting biodiversity and long-term sustainability.
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Engaging in transparent reporting: Regularly publish detailed reports on the bank’s environmental impact, lending practices, and progress towards sustainability goals.
Read our full report and more detailed recommendations right here.
Photo: Mark Galer