A representative of the Co-operative Bank provided the following response to our view on the bank's 2023 Sustainability Report, which we shared in our March 2024 newsletter.

"Dear Members of the Customer Union for Ethical Banking,

We hope that you found the 2023 Sustainability Report informative and reflective of the great work that The Co-operative Bank has undertaken in 2023, together with our customers, colleagues and partners.

We were very pleased to be able to report our GHG emissions across all 3 scopes within this report. Our continuing work to develop a robust transition plan will allow us to set meaningful interim targets and help us to work towards achieving net zero well ahead of the 2050 target date.

We accept the Customer Union’s challenge regarding independent review of our Ethical Policy screening and we want to reassure members of the Customer Union that we have started making some steps towards reinstating this and commit to providing more information when we are able to do so.

Our unwavering commitment to co-operative values and ethics and delivery against the commitments in our customer-led Ethical Policy ensures we continue to stand out as a leader in ESG and ethical banking within the financial services sector. This is an achievement we are extremely proud of and it would not be possible without the support of our very loyal customers. Working co-operatively, we continue to drive positive social and environmental change in our communities here in the UK and abroad.

Thank you to you all for your continued support."