At a time when many banks are scaling back face-to-face services, NAB is going the other way. It’s opening a new branch in Westfield Kotara and introducing Newcastle’s first full-service Saturday banking.
12 June 2026 | 2 min read
04.05.2026
Comments attributable to a NAB spokesperson.
“NAB is supporting customers and the economy as Australia works towards its Paris Agreement ambitions while also recognising the need for stable, reliable and affordable energy through the transition.
Financing renewables
It is essential Australia decarbonises the energy grid to unlock sustainable, affordable energy for the future. As of March 2026, renewable energy makes up 82% of NAB’s total power generation financing (up from 79% in September 2025). Our renewable portfolio represents a mix of wind, hydro and solar energy sources[1].
Fossil fuel exposure and settings
As a result of NAB’s sustainability-related policies and risk settings, NAB has reduced its exposure to fossil fuels over time, and no longer has any corporate lending to thermal coal mining customers or project finance in respect of thermal coal mining assets, assessed against the sector definition for our thermal coal mining settings [2].
NAB has had no direct lending to coal-fired power generation assets since March 2022[3].
NAB has capped oil and gas exposure at USD $2.28 billion and at March 2026, NAB’s exposures remain well below the cap.
National energy security
Recognising the importance of energy security to our customers and the Australian economy more broadly, in 2025 NAB updated its position on decision making in relation to national energy security. NAB will consider national energy security in relation to the financing of power generation and gas (including gas infrastructure) sectors. Any such decision will take account of a range of factors and be made by relevant members of the Executive Leadership Team. These factors include any relevant Australian government or regulatory reports or determinations (including from the Australian Energy Market Operator), together with the needs of domestic businesses (including industrial and manufacturing businesses) for stable, reliable and affordable energy. Our expectation is that any decisions relating to national energy security would not impact our ability to meet our power generation or oil and gas sector decarbonisation targets.
Assessing customer transition plans
NAB requires customer transition plans from Corporate and Institutional Banking customers in the power generation (where at time of lending, 25% or more of the electricity generated by the customer is from thermal coal), oil and gas, and metallurgical coal sectors, for new or renewed corporate lending or project-level lending, or capital markets activity. While an in-scope customer does not have a Customer Transition Plan in place, or is unable to demonstrate progress beyond an overall rating of “Limited”, NAB will not provide new or renewed corporate, project, or trade finance facilities or facilitate capital markets activities [4].
Green business lending
We’re providing products to help customers, and through our Green Finance for Commercial Real Estate (CRE) and Green Finance for Agribusiness and Vehicles and Equipment offerings, including the CEFC-backed NAB Agribusiness Emissions Reduction Incentive Program. NAB has delivered more than $2 billion in new green business lending to support the nation’s transition to a low-carbon economy.”
More information is available in NAB’s 2025 Climate Report.
[1] NAB methodology (using NAB's extension of 1993 ANZSIC codes that distinguishes between different types of energy generation) on a net EAD basis. Excludes exposure to counterparties predominantly involved in
transmission and distribution. Certain renewable power generation companies in New Zealand may utilise strategic energy reserves that are non-renewable as critical back-up to support security of energy supply in New
Zealand. NAB has no direct lending to coal-fired power generation assets remaining. Note there is indirect exposure to coal-fired power within the Mixed Fuel category as a result of NAB’s corporate level exposure to
gentailers, which have a mix of generation assets (including coal, gas and renewables) within their generation portfolios
[2] Thermal coal exposure means direct exposure to customers and projects whose primary activity is thermal coal mining, on a net EAD basis, using NAB’s extension of 1993 ANZSIC codes that distinguishes between different
grades of black coal. Includes lending, derivatives, financial guarantees and performance guarantees for the rehabilitation of existing coal mining assets. It excludes customers whose primary activity is metallurgical coal
mining, diversified mining customers and transactional banking (including deposit services) that do not give rise to EAD and similar ancillary products and service
[3] For the purposes of NAB’s sustainability risk-related settings, coal-fired power generation asset exposure, on a net EAD basis, using NAB's extension of 1993 ANZSIC codes. Excludes exposure to counterparties predominantly involved in transmission and distribution. Certain renewable power generation companies in New Zealand may utilise strategic energy reserves that are non-renewable as critical back-up to support security of energy supply in New Zealand. NAB has no direct lending to coal-fired power generation assets remaining. Note there is indirect exposure to coal-fired power within the Mixed Fuel category as a result of NAB’s corporate level exposure to gentailers, which have a mix of generation assets (including coal, gas and renewables) within their generation portfolios.
[4] This includes (i) lending at a corporate level (for example, general facilities made available to the parent company of a group of companies), (ii) at a project-level (that is on an individual project basis for a specific project purpose), and (iii) trade finance. Lending in the context of this requirement includes financial guarantees (excluding rehabilitation bonds and cash backed guarantees for non-operational activities e.g. office leases). Transactional banking (including deposit services), risk management products and similar ancillary products and services including advice or services provided to a customer by JBWere are excluded from this requirement. Capital markets activities means all types of bonds, syndicated loans and US private placements. The Customer Transition Plan requirements for In-Scope Customers are subject to national energy security considerations.
