NatWest

World’s first carbon tracker fully integrated into a banking app

At a time when financial institutions increasingly embrace climate action, and under CEO Alison Rose’s push to position NatWest as a leading bank in tackling climate change, I led the creation of the world’s first real-time carbon tracker fully integrated into a high-street bank’s mobile app.

The feature empowers customers to gain insights into their carbon footprint, seamlessly integrating sustainability into their daily lives.

Turning awareness into action

The average monthly carbon footprint in the UK is approximately 1,000kgs. To help reduce the impacts of climate change, scientists recommend that by 2030 we should aim to reduce our carbon footprints to around 180kgs (Cogo, 2021).

Through pilot insights showing an average saving of 11 kg CO₂ per user each month, we saw how behavioural nudges in everyday finance could unlock staggering environmental benefits at scale, projected to reach more than 1 billion kg CO₂ saved annually.

Helping customers reduce carbon emissions

I led this project end-to-end — from initial discussions with NatWest stakeholders, through translating pilot insights into a meaningful customer experience, to incorporating research feedback and shaping the long-term vision of this unique feature.

See the impact of your spending

Users embark on a journey of awareness and action, making informed decisions that resonate with their values. Whether it’s embracing composting, reducing meat consumption, or opting for eco-friendly utility providers, NatWest’s carbon tracking fosters a culture of conscientious consumption.

By closely working with tech partner CoGo and based on the user needs, we developed climate actions personalised to the user in a way that first shows the next most achievable action in each spending category.

We built a strong narrative for the feature launch while delivering ambitious and clear next steps to achieve the north star.

After a successful soft launch at COP26, the Carbon Tracker integration across NatWest Group banking apps has extended its reach to a broader audience.

PRODUCT LEAD

Elphège Barthe

HEAD OF DIGITAL CHANNELS DEVELOPMENT

Miles Hillier

PRODUCT OWNER

Emma Burnett

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DIGITAL PROPOSITION MANAGERS

Vicky Glenn
Victoria Tolond

COPYWRITER

Gary Lewis

RESEARCHERS

Jennifer Robison-Bird
Joel Tebbett