Meet the Finalists

Congratulations all those who have made the finals for the 2025 Global Good Finance Awards!

The winners will be announced at our joint awards ceremony with the Global Good Awards, held at BMA House, on Wednesday 24th September.

With many thanks to our sponsors, Trowers & Hamlins.

FINANCE TRAILBLAZER OF THE YEAR

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • As a B Corp, our mission is to improve our client’s wellbeing through financial planning and to connect capital to responsible businesses by investing sustainably.

    We specialise in sustainable investing and have been following this approach for over a decade. It is our belief that these businesses have a growing competitive advantage, are natural innovators, and will outperform businesses that have a neutral or negative impact on planet and people.

    Since 2015, The EQ Foundation has donated over £3 million to charities and social enterprises, focusing primarily on education and employment for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

  • 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 focussed 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.

  • Phoenix Group aims to create a better future for 12m individual customers by embedding sustainability across its life insurance, long-term savings and retirement business with £292bn AUA. The Central Sustainability team oversees the creation of sustainability strategy, key themes being People, Planet, and Building a Sustainable Business. ESG risk assessment is embedded from the Board down, integrated into all major investment decisions. Going beyond compliance to drive systemic change, Phoenix Group is pioneering responsible finance at scale. Through its Invest, Engage, Lead climate strategy, it has made a £40bn commitment to sustainable assets, launched the FTSE Phoenix Climate Aware Index, and aligned £32bn to FCA sustainability standards, benefitting 2m+ customers. With a 52% reduction in listed asset portfolio emissions intensity, targeting net-zero by 2050 and advocacy via think tank Phoenix Insights, the business is shaping policy and industry standards, whilst supporting 17,000+ unpaid carers through its Caring for Carers initiative.

  • 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.

For this category, we’ll be awarding a Gold, a Silver, and two Bronzes.

SUSTAINABLE FINANCE LEADERSHIP

  • Piril Kadibesegil Yasar has worked in the Sustainability field for 15+ years, acting with optimism and passion for the deployment of a more sustainable mindset across sectors. She is part of the Allianz Group for 10+ years and joined Allianz Trade in 2023 to accelerate the sustainable transition of the organization at all levels. Under Piril’s guidance, last year, we achieved a 60% reduction in GHG emissions and a 78% reduction in energy consumption per employee. Piril also initiated the launch of 2 sustainable solutions, Green2Green Surety and Specialty Credit, that empower companies to participate in renewable energy projects and low-carbon technologies. She strengthened our sustainability governance, from structuring dedicated teams and management to deploying sustainable principles into our business practices.

    She is also a strong advocate for gender equity. She took part at the Global Board of Allianz Network for Equal Opportunities and co-founded Turkish WIN’s Germany branch.

  • Steve Watters, Paradigm Norton’s (PN) Head of Impact, is a bold, visionary leader redefining what it means to be responsible with wealth. From transforming Paradigm Norton’s investment approach to embedding philanthropy and attempting to drive industry-wide change, Steve has led with integrity, intellect, and ambition.

    Steve’s work goes far beyond internal transformation - he’s an advocate for rigorous stewardship standards, a key voice in national industry groups, and a pioneer who has initiated new collaboration. He has reshaped how clients understand their impact by equipping advisers to meet these conversations.

    Whether it’s investment innovation, transparent impact reporting, or leading PN to B Corp excellence as the ‘most improved’ UK company in 2023 with a stellar score, Steve brings considered and well-researched thinking and a deep commitment to positive change.

  • As a Certified B Corporation®, Paradigm Norton seeks to balance purpose with profit, ensuring we deliver exceptional client care, whilst seeking to make a positive impact on people, the environment and wider society. But a key challenge has been how to provide clients with the option to invest responsibly without compromising financial goals.

    The team has grappled with this complex challenge, pioneering a significant shift toward responsible investing and active stewardship, with an evidence based approach. The teams consistent work and education over recent years has resulted in rapid change – with more than 50% of clients choosing our responsible or SDG-aligned investment portfolios - perhaps unprecedented in scale and pace.

    By educating clients about active ownership and ensuring their shareholder rights are used effectively to hold corporations accountable for social and environmental impacts, the team and Paradigm Norton strive to create a better world for current and future generations.

  • The Phoenix Group Central Sustainability team, 14.5 FTEs, aims to create a better future for 12m customers by embedding sustainability across its life insurance, long-term savings and retirement business with £292bn AUA. The team oversees the creation of sustainability strategy, and the key themes are People, Planet, and Building a Sustainable Business. Through its Invest, Engage, Lead climate strategy, the team, with the support of colleagues throughout the business, has influenced a £40bn commitment to sustainable assets, launched the FTSE Phoenix Climate Aware Index, and aligned £32bn to FCA sustainability standards, benefitting 2m+ customers. With a 52% reduction in listed asset portfolio emissions intensity, targeting net zero by 2050 and advocacy via think tank Phoenix Insights, the team is shaping policy and industry standards, whilst supporting 17,000+ unpaid carers through its Caring for Carers initiative. Collaborative, transparent and innovative, this team is spearheading transformation of finance for a better future.

  • QNB Türkiye’s sustainable finance team is driving the bank’s commitment to ESG principles. Working within the International Banking division, the team focuses on incorporating ESG into all areas of the bank – from its products and funding to its overall strategy. The team successfully managed integration of sustainability within the bank, so different banks launched different products like green loan packages for the customer, sustainable deposit etc.

    2024 was a successful year for QNB Türkiye, providing over $1 billion in funding through two syndicated loans – one for SMEs and another for recent earthquake recovery and green initiatives. The bank also significantly increased its sustainable bond offerings, rising from $113 million to $685 million, and issued Türkiye’s first-ever Blue Bond.

    Furthermore, sustainable trade finance jumped from $26 million to $245 million, and the bank launched Türkiye’s first Green/Sustainable Deposit product for customers; demonstrating QNB Türkiye’s leadership in sustainable finance.

  • For 30 years Thrive has been bringing together people, proven technologies and a pioneering approach to accelerate the rollout of renewables across the UK. Since building some of the UK’s first wind turbines in the 1990s, Thrive has built/funded 44 renewable energy projects, including investments in the UK’s first geothermal power plant and England’s largest onshore wind turbine, owned by the local community. In 2023 it announced plans to double generation capacity within five years. Two years later Thrive has secured the development rights to two new onshore wind farms which will boost total capacity from 91.5 to 170.1MW and brought on two new co-investment partners. One of these projects is Thrive’s biggest yet – currently in construction, it will generate enough power for over 45,000 average UK homes.

For this category, we’ll be awarding two Golds, two Silvers, and two Bronzes.

FINANCIAL EDUCATION + INCLUSION

  • ESquared would like to showcase Signing banks UK (SBUK), working with the Deaf Inclusion Industry Group (DIIG) set up by Kathryn Townsend, the Disability and Access Ambassador for Banking, Kathryn’s group was set up in 2022, ESquared created SBUK in 2023. Together we are seeking to close the gaps between banking and their deaf customers.

    The result: firms have introduced services which increase accessibility for deaf customers and improved inclusive practice. This has been evidenced by surveys published by the Lending Standards Board (LSB) in the three years, 2023, 2024 and 2025. In that time DIIG membership has grown from 12 to 38 firms.

    The impact: a sector-wide uplift with deaf accessibility services almost ubiquitous across DIIG members and an uptake of inclusive technology. SBUK’s network of lived experience experts are beginning to influence product design. Proving what is possible when lived experience, expertise, and a shared commitment come together.

  • Launched in 2020, Good Return’s Impact Investment Fund surpassed expectations, turning a $1 million investment into $5.05 million in loans for over 600 entrepreneurs (90% of whom were women) through a guarantee scheme. The Fund addresses a critical investment gap across the Asia-Pacific region for SMEs requiring capital between $5,000 to $100,000 in order to grow.

    Using a blended-finance vehicle, the Fund leverages raised capital from socially-minded investors to generate income and employment for people living in poverty, with a focus on women and gender equitable practices. Meanwhile, it maintains the raised capital and provides a positive financial return to investors that is similar to a cash deposit with an Australian bank.

    As the Fund enters its final year, Good Return is launching a second, evergreen fund. This will continue the guarantee model, while also providing debt to FSPs for whom liquidity is a key constraint.

  • Kiva is closing the global financial access gap—reaching 5.6 million people in 90+ countries with $2.1 billion in loans at a 96% repayment rate. In 2024, Kiva’s global community of lenders provided $188 million in loans to 401,744 borrowers across 95 countries, reinforcing Kiva’s commitment to financial inclusion and resilience. Building on a strategic vision to reach 10 million people with $4 billion in loans by 2028, Kiva continues to channel capital to underserved populations through nearly 300 local partnerships. 89% of borrowers reported improved quality of life, 80% experienced increased business income, and 85% enhanced their financial skills, according to surveys across 55 lending partners. Kiva’s tools—like real-time impact dashboards and the Gender Equity Assessment Rating (GEAR), introduced in 2024—equip institutions to expand their reach and measure progress. Kiva unlocks a cycle of opportunity, proving that inclusive finance can deliver meaningful, measurable change at scale.

  • Black owned businesses in the UK face disproportionate barriers to success, with only 0.24% of Venture Capitalist funding reaching Black entrepreneurs. Recognising this injustice, Lloyds in partnership with Channel 4 launched Black In Business—an initiative designed to break down barriers, elevate Black entrepreneurs, and give them the visibility they deserve.

    In its second year, Black In Business has already transformed the trajectory of five Black-owned businesses, providing them with £150,000 of Channel 4 advertising airtime, the creation of their own TV commercial by Black owned production company Quiet Storm, and mentorship from leaders at Lloyds and Channel 4. More than just a programme, Black In Business is a movement, tackling deep-rooted inequalities and amplifying Black entrepreneurial excellence on a national stage.

  • Financial Foundations is NatWest Group’s financial education programme for adults, designed to help participants to take control of their money and future. As the UK’s biggest bank for business, and one that serves millions of households, the programme leverages the bank’s extensive commercial and community relationships to deliver free, impartial money guidance workshops to groups of adults in the workplace, further education institutions, and community organisations - reaching people where they live and work. Delivered by trained bank colleagues, the programme facilitates more open conversations about money in everyday settings. During successful experimentation in the north of England in 2024, the programme delivered 270 workshops to 5,200 people. With a network of 750 trained facilitators now in place, NatWest Group aims to leverage bank wide collaboration to reach 52,000 people through the workshops by the end of 2025, encouraging on average 1k people a week to improve their financial wellbeing.

For this category, we’ll be awarding two Golds, a Silver, and two One-to-Watch.

THE GAME CHANGER: BEST INVESTMENT INITIATIVE

  • The Collective investment platform is the brainchild of Octopus Energy, the global energy company on a mission to make green energy affordable, accessible, and better for everyone. While we power 8m homes with award-winning customer service and innovative energy products, the Collective gives people the opportunity to invest in green energy projects - from as little as £25 for a 3-year term.

    As the only energy company with a green investment platform regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), we’re shaking up investment in sustainability. Blown away by our initial results, we sold out our first two wind turbine investment projects in just a week, raising our target £1m towards operations costs and new green energy investment projects, attracting 6,200 verified investor members on our platform.

    Today, hundreds of verified investors are tracking how much clean energy their investments are generating, delighted with our world-class end-to-end green energy investment journey.

  • Launched in 2020, Good Return’s Impact Investment Fund surpassed expectations, turning a $1 million investment into $5.05 million in loans for over 600 entrepreneurs (90% of whom were women) through a guarantee scheme. The Fund addresses a critical investment gap across the Asia-Pacific region for SMEs requiring capital between $5,000 to $100,000 in order to grow.

    Using a blended-finance vehicle, the Fund leverages raised capital from socially-minded investors to generate income and employment for people living in poverty, with a focus on women and gender equitable practices. Meanwhile, it maintains the raised capital and provides a positive financial return to investors that is similar to a cash deposit with an Australian bank.

    As the Fund enters its final year, Good Return is launching a second, evergreen fund. This will continue the guarantee model, while also providing debt to FSPs for whom liquidity is a key constraint.

  • Nattergal is a pioneering Nature restoration company working to prove that Nature is an investable asset class capable of generating sustainable financial returns alongside climate, biodiversity and societal benefits. By mobilising private finance, we are helping bridge the $942bn global biodiversity funding gap, securing Nature’s recovery. In the past year, we have made significant progress, raising £40m in seed funding and completing initial sales of high integrity charismatic carbon and Biodiversity Net Gain units. Our owned projects - Boothby Wildland, High Fen Wildland and Harold’s Park Wildland – spanning 1,000ha across England, are seen as exemplars of Nature restoration using a blended public and private finance approach. Our model is designed for scalability; we are expanding our impact by rolling out our managed-service offering to restore ecosystems for other landowners. Longer term we plan to grow across ecosystems and geographies, aiming to be a leading Nature restorer across developed markets.

  • Animal welfare is an issue historically overlooked by the financial sector. Yet there are high costs to poor animal welfare. It poses huge regulatory, reputational and human health risks.

    The Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare, backed by a $2.4 trillion coalition of investors, is changing that. Not only by raising awareness of the issue, but by engineering significant animal welfare improvements at 150 of the world’s largest food companies.

    BBFAW has helped double the proportion of companies with formal farm animal welfare policies, and in the last two years its revised criteria has helped reduce the use of close confinement systems (such as cages), use of routine mutilations (e.g. tail docking), and encouraged more humane methods of slaughter. Its detailed framework enables investors to analyse management quality in a way that benefits both shareholder returns and the lives of the 92 billion animals farmed for food each year.

For this category, we’ll be awarding a Gold, a Silver, and a Bronze.