SCB Surpasses Green Finance Goal Ahead Of Schedule

Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) exceeded its sustainable finance targets, disbursing more than 180 billion baht (more than USD 5 billion) in sustainable finance as of mid-2025—well above the bank's initial 150 billion baht target on the 2023–2025 timeframe. The achievement is a major win under SCB's "Live Sustainably" initiative, with an emphasis on propelling Thailand into low-carbon growth and becoming a regional climate-aligned finance market leader.

Its success is a pointer to increasing demand and trend towards environmental, social, and governance (ESG)-oriented financial products in Thailand. SCB has actively promoted green business development and sustainable growth through the issuance of loans and bonds which emphasize environmental performance. The rapid utilization of these funds is an indicator of changing consumer and corporate sentiment towards more sustainable business models.

SCB CEO Kris Chantanotoke highlighted that the success is augmented with the strong embedding of ESG values within its operation and strategy. "Our 'Live Sustainably' strategy has sharp focus on facilitating the sustainable development of businesses and the Thai economy through ESG aspects," he continued. The integrated solution not only empowered SCB customers in their sustainability journeys but created long-term resilience in the financial system as well.

SCB has set three key environment commitments under its master plan for sustainability. First, it seeks to assist clients in transforming towards sustainability with the 150-billion-baht green finance plan for 2023-2025, which it has already exceeded. Second, it aims to get its operations to Net Zero emissions by 2030. And third, it aims for Net Zero for its entire loan and investment portfolio by 2050. These are ambitions that prove SCB's commitment to global best practices and to playing a substantial role in climate action.

In a first in history, SCBX—SCB's holding company—has achieved the distinction of being the first and sole financial group in Thailand to be certified by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The internationally acclaimed certification guarantees that SCBX's reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are equivalent to levels necessary to achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement. With more than 8,000 organizations linked with SBTi worldwide, SCBX's addition puts it in a rare category of climate-responsible institutions and solidifies further its leadership position in guiding financial markets towards sustainability.

At the center of SCB's action plan are three pillars of system transformation strategic support. The first is sectoral decarbonization strategies. Sector-specific plans have been developed by the bank for several focus sectors that are crucial to Thailand's Net Zero pathway—commercial real estate, renewable energy, electric vehicles (EVs) and EV ecosystems, and the petroleum and chemicals sectors. These sectors have been the backbone of SCB's sustainable finance portfolio in the past two years.

The second pillar is the introduction of pioneering sustainability-linked financial products. SCB launched Sustainability-Linked Loans and Bonds, which tie financial terms like interest rates directly to the performance of a borrower against its ESG criteria. This financial innovation not only makes customers more agile but also acknowledges the improvement in sustainability performances, achieving a win-win solution for the company and the environment.

The third pillar involves establishing integrated partnerships for sustainability. SCB collaborates with customers to deliver knowledge-sharing, advisory, and industry technical expertise. This partnership model enables companies to gain a greater appreciation of their sustainability issues and formulate effective climate-resilience strategies. Instead of being a traditional lender, SCB is a long-term partner in clients' sustainability transitions.

Chantanotoke emphasized that climate change presents risks and opportunities for the Thai economy. Through the adoption of ESG in business, SCB is enabling companies to mitigate environmental risks while unlocking new sources of growth in a low-carbon, quickly evolving economy. "SCB is guiding Thailand's financial industry to change so that customers can adapt, manage risk, and capture growth in a low-carbon world," he added.

The bank's looking-forward orientation, inextricably unifying financial innovation with passionate sectoral engagement, represents its vision to catalyze a system-wide transformation towards climate-convergent growth. Guided by the "Live Sustainably" value, SCB aims to be not only a financier but a change-maker—empowering corporations, customers, and communities to move towards a greener, more sustainable future.

As international and regional focus on climate and sustainability targets grows, SCB's performance is a benchmark for the regional banking sector. The bank's creative approach and premature realization of its goals prove the effect conscious, ESG-guided financial leadership can have on catalyzing national and global climate targets.