Finance Trailblazer of the Year
FINANCE TRAILBLAZER OF THE YEAR
GOLD
Triodos Bank UK - 30 years of innovation and impact in sustainable banking
This year, Triodos Bank UK celebrates 30 years as a pioneer of sustainable banking. We firmly believe that finance has the power and influence to drive meaningful change. Our mission is to help create a society that promotes the quality of life for all its members on a thriving planet, with human dignity at its core.
Over the past three decades, the bank has demonstrated consistent growth and, in 2024 alone, we arranged £165m of gross sustainable lending (up from £106m in 2023) all going to organisations with a focus on positive social, environmental and cultural impact.
We can look back on 2024 as a year of resilience and progress, demonstrating that good financial performance, adequate risk management and positive impact can go hand in hand.
We continue to lead the way in our ambition to change the financial sector, striving for more sustainability, transparency and diversity in business models.
SILVER
Climate First Bank - Bank Like Tomorrow Depends on It
Climate First Bank is redefining modern banking as the world’s first FDIC-insured, values-based, digital community bank founded to combat the climate crisis.
Headquartered in Central Florida, the Bank integrates environmental sustainability into every aspect of its operations, offering full-service banking alongside ethical solar lending, donation-linked accounts, and transparent, tech-powered services. A Certified B Corporation and 1% for the Planet member, the Bank has donated over $204,000 to environmental causes since it opened its doors in 2021 and maintains carbon neutrality through its partnership with, We Are Neutral.
It has grown to over $1 billion in assets in just over three years, making it the fastest-growing new bank in the U.S. since 2009. Climate First Bank also champions social equity by reinvesting in affordable housing, education, and clean energy. With a mission to “Do the Right Thing,” it sets a bold new standard for innovation, impact, and integrity in banking.
BRONZE
Lloyds Banking Group - Helping Britain Prosper
Lloyds Banking Group’s purpose is Helping Britain Prosper. With over 28 million UK customers we’re using our scale to lead systemic change—aligning financing with the UK’s net zero and inclusion ambitions.
In 2024, we delivered £10.7bn billion in sustainable finance in Commercial Banking, invested £25.9 billion in climate-aware strategies in Scottish Widows, empowered our customers to make confident decisions and supported small businesses through community development finance.
From enhanced ESG risk assessments and bespoke Climate assessments to new sustainable financed targets in Commercial Banking, we are focused on empowering our customers to build long-term security and breaking down barriers to access and inclusion. Our monitoring, reporting and governance structures ensure that progress is real, measurable and transparent. We recognise this is a journey—but our ambition is clear: to create a more sustainable and inclusive future for people and businesses, shaping finance as a force for good.
BRONZE
Chronos Sustainability - Driving global impact at scale through systemic change in finance
From climate change to nature loss, mental health to mining, most sustainability challenges are systemic in nature. And for the finance sector to truly support a greener more sustainable economy it must redesign policy and business environments, to better incentivise responsible capital markets. It must deliver these changes with urgency, no matter the political weather.
This is where Chronos Sustainability, with our growing team of around 25 employees and issue-specific specialists, dedicates its time and expertise.
We work across the sustainable finance world - from sovereign bonds to stock markets, and across sectors from agriculture to aviation - in deep partnership with clients to create
tools, and drive initiatives, that catalyse responsible business or remove the barriers that prevent it. In recent years, for example, the BBFAW benchmark has helped triple the proportion of companies setting animal welfare targets, and our mental health benchmark benefits around 1.5 million employees.