Logout

Follow Us

RBC

CEF Lead Executives

Sustainability Goals

Current Sustainability Goals


Climate commitments

Ongoing goal

  • Maintain carbon neutrality in our global operations (achieved in 2017) with a decreasing reliance on offsets annually


2025

  • Reducing GHG emissions by 70% (2018 baseline).
  • Source 100% electricity from renewable and non-emitting sources (2018 baseline).
  • Provide $500 billion in sustainable finance.
  • Gift $100 million to universities and charities developing solutions to address climate change.


2030

  • Interim targets for three sectors: oil & gas, power generation, and automotive. 
  • For oil & gas, achieve a 35% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity and an 11-27% reduction in Scope 3 emissions depending on government policies over that period.
  • For power generation, achieve a 54% reduction in Scope 1 emissions.
  • For automotive, achieve a 47% reduction in Scope 1- 3 emissions.


2050

  • Achieve net-zero emissions in its lending portfolio.

Latest Sustainability Reporting

Highlights

 

  • Facilitated $29 billion in green finance in 2023.
  • 100% of total global electricity sourced from renewable sources in 2023.
  • Disclosed absolute financed emissions for oil & gas sector for the first time in 2023, which will guide its business strategy and emission reduction actions.
  • Supported 150 partners in clean tech, agriculture, energy and nature-based climate solutions through $21+ million in community investments (up 72% since 2022).
  • Launched the RBC Climate Action Institute to provide research to contribute to Canada’s climate progress.
  • Published an updated Approach to Human Rights, describing how RBC will integrate human rights into operational policies and procedures.
  • Women made up 43% of and Black, Indigenous and people of color made up 25% of new executive appointments in 2023.

Recent News

2024

New York City (NYC) reached agreements with JPMorgan Chase, Citi, and Royal Bank of Canada for the banks to regularly disclose their "Energy Supply Ratio" (financing ratio of low-carbon energy to fossil fuels) and their underlying methodology. The agreements come after successful shareholder engagements by the NYC Comptroller and three of NYC’s pension funds (who also have Energy Supply Ratio shareholder engagements with three more banks outstanding). (April 2024)

PR »  REUTERS »  ESG TODAY »


Announced three new actions it intends to take to accelerate the transition to a greener economy: 1) Triple lending for renewable energy across RBC Capital Markets and Commercial Banking and grow overall low-carbon energy lending to $35 billion by 2030; 2) Allocate $1 billion by 2030 to support the development of innovative climate solutions; 3 ) Accelerate capital deployment to emissions reduction efforts with a new decarbonization finance category. (March 2024)

PR »

2023

Joined the CEF member network in May 2023!


Launched the RBC Climate Action Institute to bring together research insights and industry experts to help clients and communities apply climate solutions across key sectors of Canada's economy. The institute will work closely with businesses and industry partners to design practical ways to reduce net emissions. It will focus initially on buildings & real estate, agriculture, and energy systems.

MORE »


Announced that in 2023 it will add climate objectives to the CEO and group executives’ mid-term and long-term incentive plans. As RBC notes in its 2022 Climate Report, this will serve as “an additional incentive for the CEO and GE to accelerate RBC’s progress on these key priorities through innovation and engaging with governments, businesses and individuals to facilitate meaningful global progress towards net-zero over the short, medium and long term.” (March 2023)

MORE »

2022

Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) set 2030 interim targets for three sectors: oil & gas, power generation, and automotive. For oil & gas, RBC aims for a 35% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity and an 11-27% reduction in Scope 3 emissions depending on government policies over that period. For power generation, RBC will aim for a 54% reduction in Scope 1 emissions. For automotive, the bank is aiming for a 47% reduction in Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. RBC is also aiming to provide $500 billion in sustainable finance by 2025. (Oct 2022)

MORE »  MORE 2 »

2021

RBC committed to net-zero emissions in its lending portfolio by 2050 and announced an increased commitment to mobilize $500 billion in sustainable finance by 2025, after successfully fulfilling its first $100 billion in 2020. It also plans to achieve net-zero emissions in global operations by 2025 by reducing GHG emissions by 70% and sourcing 100% of its electricity from non-carbon emitting sources. (March 2021)

MORE »

Share by: