NatWest

Turning complex spending data into meaningful climate insights for millions of customers

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

NatWest and Cogo saw an opportunity to use banking transaction data to help customers understand the environmental impact of their spending. While customers increasingly wanted to make more sustainable choices, carbon emissions remained abstract and difficult to measure. The challenge was not simply to surface carbon data, but to transform complex transaction-level information into a clear, trustworthy and actionable experience that could drive behaviour change.

The average monthly carbon footprint in the UK is

~1,000kgs

To help reduce the impacts of climate change, scientists recommend that by 2030 we should aim to reduce our carbon footprints to

~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.

Designing with data

The experience was built on a rich ecosystem of financial and environmental data. Working closely with NatWest and Cogo, we transformed transaction-level spending data into personalised carbon insights that customers could easily understand and act upon.

Rather than overwhelming users with raw data, we focused on surfacing the most relevant information at the right moment. Transaction data was enriched with carbon modelling, mapped to spending categories and translated into meaningful indicators of impact.

User research and pilot insights helped inform how information should be structured, prioritised and explained. This enabled us to create an experience that balanced accuracy with simplicity while maintaining trust and credibility.

Data Ecosystem

Transaction data     →    Carbon modelling & enrichment

→     Personalised footprint     →     Behavioural insights

→     Recommended actions     →    Carbon reduction

Creating a data experience that drives action

The challenge was not simply helping customers see their footprint, but helping them understand where emissions came from and what actions would have the greatest impact.

Working with Cogo’s carbon modelling and behavioural science expertise, we designed personalised recommendations based on customers’ spending patterns. The experience surfaced the most achievable next actions within each spending category, helping customers move from insight to action in a simple and motivating way.

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