UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Goals for making the world better
The UN has set goals to help make the world fairer, safer and better for everyone.
Unity aligns its mission as a bank that tries to do the right thing for people and the planet with the UN SDGs by using them as a way to check how our work helps people, communities and the environment.
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The goals at a glance
The SDGs are a set of 17 global goals adopted by all UN member states in 2015 to help stop poverty, look after the planet and help people live well by 2030. In summary, the SDGs are:
When your money is used to back organisations that support the UN SDGs, it helps build stronger communities, a healthier society and a better future for everyone. That’s why we choose to lend with purpose, and why who you bank with truly matters. To find out more about the individual SDGs, visit the UN website.
Why the SDGs matter to Unity
We measure against the UN SDGs to ensure every pound we lend helps deliver real, positive change across the UK. We focus on sectors and organisations that deliver clear benefits for local people. Every lending application undergoes a check to make sure the organisation shares our values to ensure the organisation:
- Helps people or the environment.
- Acts in a fair and responsible way.
- Supports communities where everyone is treated fairly and feels included.
- Demonstrates that they can keep going for a long time and manage money well.
If an organisation’s activities conflict with our mission, we don’t finance them.
Turning global goals into local impact
As a bank with a social conscience, we measure success not only by financial performance but also by the social value our customers create. We explicitly support organisations that deliver community, economic, social, and environmental benefit across the UK, enabling us to contribute to key areas of development.
Driving Inclusive Economic Growth
Access to fair and careful lending is essential to tackling poverty and reducing inequality. We support organisations that create employment, expand access to essential services and deliver clear, proven benefits for local people. By financing social enterprises, community‑led organisations and businesses that aim to do good, we help stimulate economic activity in areas that may otherwise find it hard to get funding. Through this approach, our lending contributes to:
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Ending poverty in all its forms everywhere, ensuring people have the basic security, resources, and opportunities they need to live with dignity. -
Promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
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Equal opportunities for all regardless of income, identity, or background, and to reduce inequality within and between countries.
Ending poverty in all its forms everywhere, ensuring people have the basic security, resources, and opportunities they need to live with dignity.
Promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
Equal opportunities for all regardless of income, identity, or background, and to reduce inequality within and between countries.By directing funds towards organisations that create opportunity and reduce inequality, we help build an economy that works for everyone.
Investing in community infrastructure and wellbeing
Thriving communities depend on access to good services, safe places and long‑lasting improvements. We finance organisations delivering health and wellbeing services, education and skills development, social and affordable housing and community regeneration projects. This supports progress towards:
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Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.
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Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
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Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.
Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.By enabling long-term investment in social infrastructure, we help build stronger, more resilient local economies.
Embedding impact in lending decisions
Many of our customers operate in sectors directly contributing to SDG priorities, including affordable homes, improving local areas, clean energy, education, healthcare and fair access to money.
Through responsible lending and relationship banking, we help channel funds towards projects that advance:
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Promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
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Equal opportunities for all regardless of income, identity, or background, and to reduce inequality within and between countries.
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Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
By aligning our lending strategy with sustainable outcomes, we ensure finance works as a force for good.
Supporting the transition to a low carbon economy
Climate change presents big risks that affect many people. The SDGs reinforce the urgent need to be ready for climate change and care for the environment. We support customers who are investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency, delivering upgrades to buildings and creating long‑lasting, eco‑friendly projects, and reducing carbon emissions across their operations, aligning with these SDGs:
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Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
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Building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation.
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Taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation.
Taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.Through responsible lending, we help ensure the transition to Net Zero is not just a policy ambition, but a practical reality for communities across the UK.
Strengthening partnerships for impact
The SDGs recognise that working together is important for making lasting change. As a specialist bank serving socially driven organisations, we work in partnership with customers, brokers, sector bodies and groups focused on doing good to amplify collective impact, aligning with:
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Strengthening the means of implementation and revitalising the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
Strengthening the means of implementation and revitalising the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.Together with our partners, we ensure finance is deployed where it can achieve the greatest positive impact.
Working together for a sustainable future
Explore our ethical partnerships
See who we support
Learn more about our Impact
Explore the Unity Impact Hub to understand the difference our lending creates, and use our Impact Toolkit to measure and grow your own impact.
Join a bank committed to sustainable development
Our commitment to the UN SDGs demonstrates the responsibility, transparency and long-term impact behind everything we do. If you want your money to support sustainable growth and create positive change, we’re here to help.
It’s simple, secure and stress-free to switch to us
If you’re ready to switch your Business Current Account to Unity Trust Bank, we’ll make sure it happens like clockwork. The account switch process is guaranteed to take 7 working days or less, and it’s all taken care of by the Current Account Switch Service.