Since we were established 40 years ago, Ecology has been at the forefront of efforts to use ethical and green finance to promote sustainable living and help combat the catastrophic damage caused by climate change.

We are focussing our efforts during COP26 on the main outcomes: mobilising finance to urgently fund the transition to a low carbon economy and decarbonising the built environment by retrofitting existing homes and building new homes that are better for people and planet.

To coincide with COP26, we are also launching our 2030 Strategy in response to the climate and ecological emergency and the decisive action that is needed in this decade.

Decarbonising the built environment

Buildings are responsible for 39% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions, with operational emissions (from energy to heat, cool and light buildings) accounting for 28% and the remainder coming from materials and construction processes.

We will not be able to solve climate change without dramatically reducing emissions from how we heat, power, build and maintain the build environment. Many of the buildings that exist today will still be in use in 2030 and 2050, so we must focus on improving their fabric to reduce their energy demand and moving to low carbon energy technology. New buildings must be built to high-energy performance standards so they will not need retrofitting in the future while minimising the emissions from their materials and construction processes.

For COP26, we're supporting

• the Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN) with their presence and series of events in Glasgow. ACAN is a network of individuals within architecture and related built environment professions taking action to address the twin crises of climate and ecological breakdown
• the Built Environment Virtual Pavilion created by the UK Green Building Council, the charity with over 600 member organisations spanning the built environment sector. The theme of the Pavilion is ‘Build Better Now’, and is designed to enable widespread access and engagement on a more sustainable built environment

Mobilising finance

Earlier this year, Ecology was the first building society to sign the Net Zero Banking Alliance commitment to achieve net zero through our lending by 2050. As well as demonstrating our own commitment, we seek to create momentum for other financial institutions to ensure net zero is at the heart of their strategy.

Working together to deliver climate action is one of the key aims of COP26. As part of the Net Zero Banking Alliance and Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), we're adding our weight to broaden, deepen and raise ambition in the financial sector.

Earlier this year, we were the first building society to report the carbon footprint of our mortgage lending. Since then, we've been working to build knowledge and momentum for UK financial institutions to measure carbon emissions from their lending, by co-chairing the UK Working Group on Residential Lending of the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials, UK (PCAF UK). The annual report of PCAF UK will be launched around COP26, and will include our recommendations for UK policymakers to facilitate the accurate carbon performance of the UK’s residential building stock.

Ecology is a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values and we'll be supporting GABV’s annual ‘Banking on Values Day’, which this year is timed to take place on 3 November during COP26. Our work within GABV is a continuation of our important work in promoting sustainable banking, and as you may know, Ecology became the first building society to sign the first global sustainability framework for the banking industry, the United Nations Finance Initiative ‘Principles for Responsible Banking’, in September 2019.

We'll continue to make our voice heard as a supporter of change in the financial system, and doing everything we can to leverage the power of the financial community for the good of society, both at COP26 and beyond.

Paul Ellis, Ecology’s Chief Executive has also recently written a Letter to the Earth to add our voice to the call to action from business leaders for COP26.