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Ethical banking group receives royal recognition
Bristol-based ethical bank Triodos has recently received a royal visit.
Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, visited Triodos’s Bristol headquarters to present the King’s Award for enterprise in sustainable development to the banking group as it marks 30 years in the British banking sector.
No stranger to Royal recognitions, the recent recognition marks the fourth time Triodos has received the accolade — previously earning the Queen’s Award in 2004, 2010 and 2020 — making it the only UK bank to achieve the recognition consistently in the sustainability category.
The Duke was welcomed by the lord-lieutenant of Bristol, Peaches Golding, and met chief executive Mark Clayton alongside staff from across the organisation.
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During the visit, the Duke, who is an advocate for heritage conservation and the environment, was given an overview of the bank’s pioneering approach to ethical and sustainable finance, reflected in both its products and the design of its eco-focused Bristol headquarters.
Chief executive Mark Clayton said the award comes at a time when many organisations are stepping back from environmental commitments, adding that Triodos remains determined to champion ethical banking and finance that benefits “people and the planet”.
He said: “We are immensely proud of our King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development.
“This year we have seen many organisations scale back on sustainability commitments; however we were delighted to be recognised for continuing to champion ethical banking and the important role of finance in supporting projects that benefit both people and the planet.”
Triodos Bank uses customer deposits to support progressive businesses, charities and social enterprises, with recent impact including a £20m loan to Oxygen Conservation, funding for Avon Needs Trees’ large-scale woodland project and backing for Gympanzees as it builds a state-of-the-art accessible leisure centre near the M48 Severn Bridge.
Triodos was presented with the King’s Award for enterprise in sustainable development
The bank is also ranked number one globally for the volume of clean energy projects it finances and has been named the UK’s top ethical bank by Which?, Ethical Consumer and Good With Money.
All photos: Triodos
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