The Carbon Bankroll: The Climate Impact and Untapped Power of Corporate Cash

As companies increasingly focus on combating climate change, this new report reveals that for many of the world’s largest companies, the carbon footprint generated by their investments and cash held in big banks are a significant source, and sometimes their largest source, of emissions. The report also provides a groundbreaking analysis of the hidden climate impact of corporate finances, making it possible to understand the scale of emissions generated by a company’s cash, investments, and financial practices. Using publicly available data of 10 major corporations, the report illuminates how the financial system–particularly the banking sector undermines the sustainability efforts of climate-conscious companies. Corporate cash and investments do not just sit passively in bank accounts accruing interest. Rather, this money is used to finance everything from energy development to construction projects to small business loans, all of which generate emissions that banks and companies contribute toward. The companies covered in the this report are: PayPal, Disney, Meta (formerly Facebook), Alphabet/Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Apple, Netflix, Johnson & Johnson, and Amazon. This report was jointly published by Climate Safe Lending Network (CSLN), The Outdoor Policy Outfit (TOPO), and BankFWD.