The Royal Bank of Scotland has announced a £1.5m, three-year partnership with the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Business, Climate Change and Sustainability.
This aims to deliver a climate education programme to more than 16,000 people across the banking group by the end of 2024.
It will also support the delivery of a climate change transformation training programme for those in roles that require a broader level of knowledge.
Experts from the university will work alongside business banking specialists to deliver the 12-week online programme to relationship managers and other staff in priority roles.
It is hoped that bank staff will then be able to help Scottish business customers identify the opportunities a net zero economy can create, and become more sustainable in the process.
This year will also see the roll-out of sector-specific climate training programmes across commercial property, retail and leisure, and manufacturing.
The university and RBS will work with Cushman and Wakefield to provide the commercial property training; Circuthon Consulting, Helen Chambers Consulting and My Little Green Wardrobe to provide retail and leisure training; and Warwick Manufacturing Group at Warwick University to deliver manufacturing training.
James Close, head of climate change at NatWest Group, said: “In the next three years, we will continue to improve the climate capability of the bank through co-delivery of a robust and specifically tailored programme of education.
“This specialist training will provide the confidence for colleagues to step into climate conversations both within the bank and with customers - increased knowledge will empower bank colleagues to help businesses across sectors roll out effective and credible transition plans as the UK heads towards a low carbon economy.”
Wendy Loretto, dean at the University of Edinburgh Business School, added: “As a result of participating in the Climate Change Transformation Programme, 85% of people who completed the programme were confident ‘knowing how to respond and make decisions on climate change impacts within the organisation’, compared to 32% at the start of the programme.”
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