Still Banking on Coal
Still Banking on Coal is a dataset by Urgewald that tracks global bank financing for the thermal coal industry. It provides transparency on loans and underwriting from over 740 banks, highlighting the gap between climate commitments and actual financial flows.
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OVERVIEW
Still Banking on Coal is an online dataset and reporting tool that tracks the financial flows from commercial banks to companies operating across the thermal coal value chain. It provides a comprehensive analysis of loans and underwriting activities, allowing finance professionals to monitor how global banking institutions are aligning—or failing to align—with international climate commitments such as the phase-down of coal agreed upon at COP26.
Organisation behind the tool
The tool is developed and maintained by urgewald e.V., a German environmental and human rights organisation. The data incorporates research on companies listed in the Global Coal Exit List (GCEL) and includes contributions from regional partners such as Climate Risk Horizons in India and Solutions for Our Climate in South Korea.
What the tool does
- Tracks loans and underwriting from over 740 commercial banks to the global thermal coal industry.
- Provides searchable data on bank-specific coal financing volumes and regional trends.
- Analyses the effectiveness of bank coal restriction policies and phase-out dates.
- Offers downloadable briefings and reports detailing the concentration of coal financing in specific markets and institutions.
Target audience
The primary audience includes finance professionals, institutional investors, asset managers, financial regulators, and civil society organisations monitoring fossil fuel financing and climate risk.
Relevance to finance professionals
- Risk assessment – Identification of banks with high exposure to coal, which may face increased regulatory scrutiny or stranded asset risks as the energy transition accelerates.
- ESG analysis – Facilitates due diligence by providing objective data on whether financial institutions are meeting their net-zero commitments or coal exclusion policies.
- Investment context – Informs asset owners and managers on the climate impact of their banking partners and helps in deciding whether to purchase bonds from banks expanding coal support.
- Market insights – Offers a granular view of regional shifts in coal financing, particularly the divergence between EU banks and those in the US and Asia.
