Banks: unexpected allies of nature?

Ronny Jongen is Senior Impact Manager at Triodos Bank and has been active in sustainable finance for 17 years. In his role in property and lending, he looks at how banks can promote biodiversity — not just as a risk, but as an opportunity for nature restoration and societal value.

As a bank, you are strongly committed to biodiversity and nature. How is that focus reflected in your way of working and investing?

Ronny: Nature and biodiversity have been part of Triodos Bank’s DNA since our founding in 1980. It’s a logical extension of our mission: we don’t just want to finance change, we want to change the financial world itself. Finance change, change finance. So with every loan we look at mission fit: what is the cultural, social or ecological value of the project?

Our goal is to invest 500 million euros in nature-based solutions by 2030. That ranges from nature restoration and conservation to regenerative agriculture. Frankly, this is also trial and error for us, but we learn by doing. After all, we are not biodiversity specialists, but we want to become specialists in financing biodiversity, by testing out pilot projects and tools, and by discussing the subject with clients.

Triodos supports The Biodiversity Shift as a flagship partner. Why did you feel it was important to contribute to this community of practice?

Ronny: Because we want not only a theoretical framework, but also practical experience. We find that many organisations struggle with similar questions: how do you make actions around biodiversity tangible and how do you scale them up within a business context? How do you get your management on board?

The network brings together people working in the field. Everyone comes with the intention of learning from each other and seeing how others are doing it. For us, that was the main reason for joining. It helps to understand what our clients or partners are up against, and how we can better support them in that.

What challenges surface when guiding clients toward nature positivity?

Ronny: We have a responsibility as a bank to put savers’ money to good use, but what exactly “good” means is not always clear-cut and sometimes open to debate. We therefore need clear metrics to measure, evaluate and report our impact. It remains a challenge to find projects that are both ecologically and financially sustainable. We want to invest 500 million euros in nature restoration, but the sector needs billions.

At the same time, we are exploring how we can better integrate biodiversity into our decision-making, not only in lending, but also in investments and our own building management. We are working on KPIs to embed that structurally.

In addition, biodiversity projects often have a long-term impact, while financing is short-term. As a result, it is not always easy to convince customers and to fit these projects into classic credit models. Moreover, the benefits are collective, but the costs are individual. Finding that balance is the biggest challenge.

Can you provide a specific example of a project?

Ronny: We mainly look for projects where we can make impact at scale. Here we support Natuurpunt and Natagora in their operations, as for example in the introduction of nature-based solutions in the Park of L’Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse, one of the youngest national parks in Belgium.

But the bulk of our projects are in the United Kingdom, Spain and France. In the UK, we fund, among others Oxygen Conservation, an organisation that buys up and restores large tracts of land by restoring forests, protecting peatlands and encouraging ecotourism. Together with Triodos, it developed a financing model where repayment is linked to proceeds from nature restoration.

These are small-scale but meaningful examples. They show that nature restoration can also be economically feasible while creating social value.

Do you see enough willingness among customers to take that step?

Ronny: In real estate, you see two types of people: those who are convinced, and those who know little about the subject. The former are often already in programmes like The Biodiversity Shift. The latter group sometimes does not realise that investing in sustainability also pays off economically. Sustainable buildings have higher occupancy, higher value and attract young talent more easily.

We try to support them in this, by going further in loan-to-value and by setting clear, minimum engagement conditions: if promised sustainability investments are not implemented, we do not fund the project any further.

What about investments beyond the property sector?

Ronny: In the agricultural sector, things are moving quickly. We expect more specific guidelines for that field by 2026. Even in the film sector, we are asking questions about sustainability impact: can you film locally, use less transportation, provide vegetarian catering for staff? Small things, but they make people think.

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With The Biodiversity Shift, you get nature restoration on your business agenda, right to the core of your operations. One step at a time. Are you ready to shift to a solid biodiversity strategy with insights, collaboration and policy impact for a nature-inclusive economy?

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