Heartland Group Holdings and Heartland Bank have announced a strategic climate transition plan aimed at reducing operational emissions and integrating climate considerations into lending decisions. The plan includes a commitment to reduce absolute operational emissions from its New Zealand-based operations by 37.8% by FY2030 from the FY2025 base year, aligning with a 1.5°C pathway.
Material Actions and Disclosures
Heartland has outlined several material actions and disclosures to address climate-related risks and opportunities. These include:
- Embedding climate considerations into lending decisions and risk assessments to mitigate high-risk property exposure.
- Engaging with customers to educate them about climate-related risks and opportunities.
- Reducing operational emissions in line with the 1.5°C pathway.
- Empowering employees through climate capacity training and promoting sustainable practices.
Forward Commitments
Heartland has also outlined forward commitments to further its climate transition:
- Partnering with financed emission and climate risk data providers to improve understanding of climate-related risks.
- Providing funding for customers to transition to a low-emission future through product innovation.
- Advocating for climate topics in public forums to accelerate a just transition.
Heartland’s transition plan is supported by a Sustainability Committee and reviewed annually by the Board. The company aims to enhance its climate risk and opportunity assessment and disclosure capabilities as new data and information is released.