Lloyds Bank has launched a dedicated practice guide focused on carbon and nature markets – Voluntary Carbon and Nature Markets (VCNM) under its Business and Commercial Banking unit, aiming to help corporate clients engage with nature-based solutions and deal with the complexities of carbon credit markets.
Based in London, the newly formed practice operates within the broader Sustainability & Client Advisory division of Lloyds, which was established in 2021, currently supports more than 1,000 major clients as they work to embed environmental objectives into their business models.
The new Voluntary Carbon and Nature Markets practice will be led jointly by Lloyds veterans Emily Martin and Gabriella Carden. Their mandate will include identifying high-integrity carbon offset options, aligning client actions with credible science-based targets, and integrating nature-positive approaches into broader client climate strategies.
Hannah Simons, Head of Sustainability at Lloyds Corporate Markets, commented, “With deep expertise in sustainable finance, Emily and Gaby will help our clients engage effectively in voluntary carbon and nature markets – a growing part of the UK’s clean growth strategy.”
The decision to launch the practice follows a clear uptick in demand for verifiable, high-quality carbon offsets. Companies across sectors are facing mounting expectations to demonstrate real progress toward their net-zero goals, and the voluntary carbon market is increasingly seen as a tool to support that progress.
Lloyds intends for this new unit to help raise standards across the UK’s voluntary carbon market by applying robust due diligence processes and advocating for more transparent rules. The goal is to equip clients to mitigate the risk of greenwashing and its inconsistent standards.
As the efforts are made to expand the carbon market mechanisms in the UK, this initiative also suggests a wider trend in the way that financial institutions are positioning themselves in the climate transition.