Blog January 30, 2026

Guest blog: We want to show you how values and ethics have underpinned our approach to banking since 1872

The Co-operative Bank’s customer-led Ethical Policy has been influenced by and designed for our customers for more than 30 years, making it central to how we operate.

The Co-operative Bank logo.

At The Co-operative Bank our values and ethics have always been more than just words. We are committed to acting on the issues that are important and working with our charity partners to deliver real change for planet, people and community.

Together we can:

  • tackle the climate crisis

  • campaign for change

  • demand a fairer society

Values and ethics reporting and sustainability reports

One of the goals at the heart of our Ethical Policy is acting with honesty and transparency. That’s why every year we publish a report showing the actions we have taken to bring our Ethical Policy to life.

We were the first bank in the world to produce an independently verified sustainability report in 1998. Our Sustainability Report includes details of our progress against key environmental, social and governance metrics, as well as aspects of how we do business and how we are delivering against the commitments of our customer-led Ethical Policy. Sustainability Report | The Co-operative Bank

Check the impact your bank is having on the world around you

With so many options, it can sometimes be difficult to choose who to bank with, and to know where your money is being invested. Your money could be harming the planet, without you even knowing about it.

That’s why Bank.Green offers a clear, easy-to-use tool to quickly check how ethical your bank is, informing you about any of the unethical and environmentally-harmful activities they could be investing in. Bank.Green empowers you to ditch the fossil fuel funders, and choose an ethical bank instead; one that is committed to tackling, not funding, the climate-crisis.

But don’t just take our word for it. Why not Check a bank on Bank.Green? Bank.Green is an independent website. Find out more about Bank.Green and how they were founded.

Here at The Co-operative Bank, we set high ethical standards for the services we provide and the businesses we finance.

We’ve been recognised as a Which? Eco Provider for the third year running, for having not funded the extraction or production of fossil fuels for over 25 years, and for our customer-led Ethical Policy, which sets out our clear environmental policies.

We're a Which? Eco Provider for the third year running

Which? Eco Provider for Current Accounts. October 2023, 2024 and 2025

10 years as Best Charity Banking Provider

We're proud to have won again with Business Moneyfacts. Helping our charity customers to thrive is a big part of what we do, and we've been recognised for doing it since 2016.

Amy McFayden, Charities Relationship Manager and Laura Ward, Charities Support Manager, The Co-operative Bank
Amy McFayden, Charities Relationship Manager and Laura Ward, Charities Support Manager, The Co-operative Bank

If you want to talk more, we are on hand, dedicated to supporting the charity sector.

Amy McFayden | 07548 107764 | amy.mcfayden@co-operativebank.co.uk

Laura Ward | 07514 726346 | laura.ward@co-operativebank.co.uk

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