Big Four Banks: Who drives sustainability in the banking sector — Elevate Money (2024)

NAB, the highest scorer of the big 4 banks

Over a year on from the banking royal commission which questioned the conduct, culture, governance and renumeration within the big 4 banks, it is prudent to examine how the banks fare on ESG factors (Enviromental Social Governance). One way to measure this is to assess the bank’s sustainability score, in terms of it’s contribution to meeting the multifaceted global sustainable development goals.

Notably all four of the big 4 Australian banks scored below the Sustainable Platform database (over 17,000+ companies) average score of 52.

The best performer in terms of sustainability contribution is NAB, with a score of 49.

Trailing NAB is CBA (22), followed by ANZ (18) and finally WESTPAC (14).

Both CBA and ANZ would contribute more to the SDGs if it weren't for their significant fossil fuels exposure. In addition to this, ANZ also has controversial industry exposure, with the Sustainable Platform data analysis detecting involvement in defense contractors.

WESTPAC is actually the 'cleanest' of the bunch, recording 0 controversial industry exposure at all (including fossil fuels). Why doesn't WBC then score higher overall? It doesn't contribute as much to housing as the others. On top of this, WESTPAC score was impacted from their breach of anti-money laundering laws in a case being brought by financial crimes regulator AUSTRAC. (Sustainable Platform data takes into consideration corporate fines brought against the company, and WBC’s score is a reflection of this).

In summary: All 4 big banks show room for improvement in the area of sustainability. In a post royal commission world, an improvement on this front may be one way the banks can regain consumer trust.

*All SDG score and data are provided by Sustainable Platform based on data as at 30 April 2020.

Top contributing goals

Housing related products and services contribute the most to targets within SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. The second highest SDG contribution is to SDG 1: No Poverty.

  • SDG 1: No Poverty

  • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Find outmoreabout theSustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Big Four Banks: Who drives sustainability in the banking sector — Elevate Money (2024)

FAQs

What are the big 4 banks in the US? ›

The “big four banks” in the United States are JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citibank. These banks are not only the largest in the United States, but also rank among the top banks worldwide by market capitalization, with JPMorgan Chase being the most valuable bank in the world.

What are the big 4 banks? ›

ANZ, Commbank, NAB & Westpac.

What four large banks dominate the banking industry they are? ›

The U.S. banking industry is dominated by four large banks: JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup.

Which bank is best for sustainability? ›

Triodos Bank

Triodos was the first bank to create a green fund for environmental projects. They also publish a report of all their investments each year, so you know exactly where your money is being invested. They won Best Ethical Financial Provider at the British Bank Awards 2023.

What are the big 4 money center banks? ›

Four examples of large money center banks in the United States include Bank of America, Citi, JP Morgan, and Wells Fargo, among others. Most money center banks raise funds from domestic and international money marks (as opposed to relying on depositors, like traditional banks).

Which of the Big 4 is the best? ›

In general, PwC and Deloitte are considered the most prestigious of the Big 4. If you ask most people about prestige, they'll probably rank PwC/Deloitte > EY > KPMG. This is reflected in pricing, for example. Big 4 will compete with each other on pricing.

Who is the biggest of the Big 4? ›

Deloitte. The largest of the Big 4, Deloitte, earned $59.3 billion in revenue in 2022.

Who controls the banking industry? ›

The OCC charters, regulates, and supervises all national banks and federal savings associations as well as federal branches and agencies of foreign banks. The OCC is an independent bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Which of the Big 4 is most sustainable? ›

EY is leading the Big Four on sustainability and ESG

“Congratulations and thanks to everyone in Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS), service lines and sectors who are delivering our EY Sustainability services.

Which of the big banks is most ethical? ›

U.S. Bancorp has been recognized for its approach to digital innovation, community partnerships and customer service, including being named one of the 2023 World's Most Ethical Companies and Fortune's most admired superregional bank.

What is the #1 bank in America? ›

1. JPMorgan Chase. JPMorgan Chase, or Chase Bank, is the biggest bank in America with nearly $3.4 trillion in assets. It boasts a vast network of over 4,800 physical branches and more than 15,000 ATMs.

Who are the 5 largest banks? ›

According to data from the Federal Reserve, the largest banks in terms of assets managed are Chase Bank, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citibank and U.S. Bancorp (the parent company of U.S. Bank).

What is the strongest U.S. Bank? ›

JPMorgan Chase – $3.5 trillion

Columbus, Ohio-based JPMorgan Chase is the largest US bank with total assets of $3.503 trillion. Some $2.684 trillion are domestic assets, accounting for 77% of its total assets. The bank operates 4,912 domestic branches and 32 foreign branches.

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