CIMB Group Holdings announced in July 2025 that it is raising its sustainable finance mobilisation target to RM 300 billion by 2030, tripling the RM 100 billion goal it set for the 2021-to-2024 period. Its existing coal policy, first announced in December 2020, commits it to phasing out coal financing by 2040.
The group, the first ASEAN bank to join the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), framed the upgraded target, part of its Forward30 strategy, as anchored on its purpose of advancing customers and society.
CIMB'S COAL POLICY
CIMB's coal commitments pre-date the new target: in December 2020 it committed to phasing out coal financing by 2040, and from 1 January 2025 it stopped financing new clients that generate 25% or more of their combined direct revenue from thermal coal.
To support smaller businesses through the transition, CIMB's SMEBizReady programme had approved more than RM 990 million in financing in 2024, benefiting nearly 500 small and medium-sized enterprises investing in green technology, automation, and digital tools.
The RM 300 billion target covers a range of sustainable finance activities, including green lending, sustainability-linked loans, green bonds, and blended finance structures.