The Co-operative Bank

How ethical is The Co-operative Bank?

The Co-operative Bank is a banking and financial services company which has achieved an acceptable score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Banks & Building Societies Ratings Table, but Ethical Accreditation has not yet been achieved. This is important because it provides additional verification on the company’s wider ethical and sustainable policies and practices.

Read more about the issues facing the banking sector in our article on Ethical Banks & Building Societies and find out which companies have achieved accreditation for their commitment to being ethical and socially responsible businesses.

What does The Co-operative Bank do?

The Co-operative Bank is a UK-based bank offering services to individuals and businesses. The organisation began in 1872 as the Loan and Deposit Department of the Co-operative Wholesale Society but only became a registered company in 1970. As of 2024, The Co-operative Bank is owned by a group of hedge funds and asset management companies.

It is important to note that The Co-operative Bank is no longer affiliated with The Co-op Group.

In which areas does The Co-operative Bank perform well?

The Co-operative Bank scores a top rating in the Environmental Destruction, Irresponsible Lending and Other Criticisms categories, due to a lack of negative records.

What can The Co-operative Bank do to improve its ethical score?

The ethical rating of a Finance brand is divided into three categories by The Good Shopping Guide: the Environment, People and Other. Find out more about how we rate.

To increase its score further, The Co-operative Bank should aim to improve its rating in the Responsible Investment Policy criterion by providing more details on its investment exclusions and revenue thresholds for controversial industries.

If you’re interested in learning more about achieving Ethical Accreditation for your brand, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.