These are the most significant changes in this update:
- Updated standards set clearer expectations for animal friendly farming practices, including transport limits and measures to allow natural behaviour. This reflects our ambition to lead in animal welfare and align with broader sustainability goals in food systems.
- A new section is introduced on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI), setting standards for companies involved in serious discrimination or harassment, and higher expectations for large companies (e.g. more than 750 employees) to have clear EDI policies and grievance mechanisms in place. This reinforces our commitment to equity as a core value.
- Sharpened definitions to strengthen protection of ecosystems, as we see an increasing need to defend marine zones such as the arctic ocean against environmental threats. We also included exclusions needed to protect invasive species.
- Updated standards on deforestation, clarifying our expectations of anti-deforestation measures for so called ‘soft commodities’ such as soy, beef, rubber, and timber. The revised guidelines also improve rules on illegal deforestation and include protections for environmentally significant areas.
- Requirement for companies to be transparent on their plastic footprint. While encouraging innovation in recycling and alternatives to virgin fossil-based plastics, we demand from companies using petro-based plastics where widespread alternatives are available to measure, report and reduce their plastic footprint.
What we stand for
To be able to drive positive impact, it’s essential that we clearly define our boundaries on what Triodos Bank can finance and explain the products, processes and activities that Triodos Bank does not want to be involved in. We do not finance, for example, the fossil and nuclear power sectors; we also exclude weapons, tobacco, factory farming and other harmful sectors and activities. Have a glance at what we stand for.