Minimum standards

Our minimum standards are Triodos Bank's bottom line: the absolute criteria we apply to ensure that we never fund any business engaged in any activities that are harmful to individuals, society or the environment.

These standards are dynamic, evolving over time with our deepening understanding of sustainability, and to reflect the latest developments in our society. In general, this means that we are continually tightening the criteria we apply, to ensure that we only invest in companies that are really setting the pace within their industry. Read our latest version of the minimum standards.

Standards updates 2012

In 2012, we updated a number of our minimum standards:

Unconventional gas

Triodos has high concerns about the use of unconventional techniques for the extraction of oil and gas. The extraction of unconventional sources comes at a high cost for the environmental and the community. In line with unconventional oil, Triodos has lowered the threshold for involvement in the extraction of unconventional gas such as shale gas to 0%.

Weapons

For indirect involvement in weapons we have dropped the thresholds for loans and bonds and added a zero tolerance for biological and chemical weapons.

Tobacco

The threshold for revenues from retail of own brand tobacco products has changed from 5% to 10% for any involvement in the sales of tobacco products.

Hazardous substances

The threshold for involvement through shareholdings in companies that produce the world’s most dangerous, internationally acknowledged hazardous substances is difficult to maintain because financial institutions do not have information about this. It is therefore decided to cancel this requirement for indirect involvement.

Precautionary principle

We used to demand from companies that are considered high risk for involvement in environmental damage to actively promote the transfer of products and services to lower carbon alternatives to reduce their footprint. This requirement is considered more appropriate in the best in class assessment and therefore cancelled as a minimum requirement. In the minimum requirement screening we now exclusively focus on programmes, targets and performance data on CO₂ reduction.

Gambling

Triodos used to exclude companies when they derive more than 5% of revenue only from so called short odds. Short odds are games that lead to quick results. Involvement in gambling now also extends to gambling activities that are considered long odds, like lotteries.

Fur

Under the minimum standard of fur we also consider specialty leather. Companies that catch or keep animals for their skin or companies that sell specialty leather products are excluded for sustainable investment when they derive more than 5% of revenues from these activities.