For green loans and lender questions
Show your bank the carbon figures behind your green loan
Your bank or insurer has started asking about your carbon footprint, or you are applying for a green loan to fund new vans, solar or a building upgrade. You can have measured figures and an ESG report ready to share today.
- First report free
- No card needed
- Saves as you go
01 · Overview
2025 to 2026 at a glance
Fernhill Studio Ltd · 12 people · Bristol
Total footprint
3.88 tCO₂e
Per employee
0.32 t
Measured data
74%
- Environmental policyIn place
- Code of conductIn place
- Diversity monitoringDeveloping
- Carbon reduction targetNext step
Sound familiar?
Our relationship manager asked about our carbon footprint
It came up at the annual review, almost in passing. We nodded along, but we have no figure to send them.
We want to switch our vans to electric
A green loan could help with the cost. We need to show where our emissions are now so the case for the new vehicles is clear.
The insurer's renewal form has new ESG questions
Suddenly there are questions about environmental policy, climate risk and governance. We are not sure how much detail they expect.
Fuel receipts are scattered everywhere
Some vans are on fuel cards, others are on expenses. Pulling it all into a carbon figure sounds like a job for an accountant.
What do banks and insurers ask small businesses about ESG?
Mostly simple things: do you know your carbon footprint, do you have an environmental policy, and are you planning any changes that cut emissions? These questions can come up in a lending review or on an insurance renewal form. For a business with vans, the vehicles are usually the biggest part of the answer.
If you are applying for a green loan, the questions get more specific. Several UK banks offer green or sustainability-linked lending for things like electric vehicles, solar and more efficient buildings, each with its own eligibility rules and terms. Products change, so check the latest details with your bank. Our guide to green business loans covers what each lender typically asks for.
Why vehicles matter so much in your footprint
For a firm with vans or company cars, fuel is often the largest part of the footprint. That makes it the place a lender, and you, will see the biggest change when you switch to electric or cut mileage.
The questionnaire works with whatever records you have: fuel bought in litres from fuel cards or receipts, mileage logs, or a sensible estimate of annual mileage per vehicle type. It covers petrol, diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars, petrol, diesel and electric vans, fully electric cars and HGVs. Fuel goes into Scope 1, and EV charging is counted under Scope 2 electricity.
With that baseline in hand, you can show a lender exactly where your emissions come from today and what the new vehicles or solar panels will change.
What the report covers, and what it does not
The footprint includes heating fuels, company vehicles, purchased electricity and EV charging, water, waste, and business travel by air, rail, grey fleet, taxi and hotel stays. It follows the GHG Protocol and uses the UK government’s conversion factors, with the factor year matched to your reporting period. Electricity is shown on both a location-based and market-based basis, so a renewable tariff backed by REGOs shows up properly.
It also estimates employee commuting and homeworking, and can add an optional spend-based estimate of the goods and services you buy. It does not include inbound freight paid for by your suppliers or the use and disposal of products you sell, and it states its coverage clearly in the methodology appendix. Lenders appreciate that clarity far more than a figure that claims to cover everything.
How long it takes
A business with vans, cars or regular staff travel usually finishes in 30 to 45 minutes. Have your fuel card statements or rough annual mileage per vehicle, a recent energy bill for your office or yard, and your headcount to hand. Answers save as you go, so you can stop to find a statement and carry on.
Your first report is free, with no card needed. Start your report and send your bank the figures they asked for.
How long will yours take?
Pick the option that sounds most like your business. You will see a realistic time, what to have nearby and a head start on the questions.
Your estimate
About 30 to 45 minutes
Around 55 to 60 questions, most of them multiple choice
A bit more detail, and a much stronger report.
Vehicles are often the biggest part of a small firm's footprint, so this is where your report gets really useful. Fuel receipts or mileage logs both work, and estimates are fine too.
Handy to have nearby
- Fuel card statements, receipts or rough annual mileage per vehicle
- A recent energy bill for your office or yard
- Your headcount and any training records
Missing something? Estimates are fine, and you can come back to any answer later.
Vehicle emissions are the area grant funders and green lenders most want to see. Having them measured puts you ahead.
Start with this profileFirst report free. No card needed.
What you get at the end
Everything is generated from your answers the moment you finish. Download it, share it, and use it wherever someone asks about your ESG.
A shareable ESG report
A professional report covering environmental, social and governance, written in plain English. Ready for investors, customers, grant funders and tenders.
Your carbon footprint
Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions in tCO₂e, calculated with official UK government conversion factors. Every calculation is shown, so anyone can check it.
A private action plan
Where to focus first, prioritised actions and the data gaps worth closing. This one is just for you and your team.
Honest, labelled figures
Every number is marked as measured or estimated, with the method and your answers in the appendix. Readers know exactly what they are looking at.
Helpful guides
- Finance, B Corp and policiesGreen business loans: what UK banks ask forGreen loans are ordinary business loans with a better rate or cashback for eligible green spending. Here is how they work and the evidence banks expect to see.Read the guide →
- Finance, B Corp and policiesESG questions from your bank or insurer, and how to answer themBanks and insurers now ask small businesses about energy, emissions and policies as part of routine reviews. The questions are predictable, and most can be answered in an afternoon.Read the guide →
- Carbon footprintHow to calculate your small business carbon footprintMultiply what you use by the official UK factors and add it up. Here is exactly what to measure, a worked example, and what to do when you are missing a bill.Read the guide →
- Carbon footprintBusiness travel emissions: trains, flights and mileageDistance times the right factor for each mode of transport. Here are the approximate 2026 UK figures for flights, trains, cars, taxis and hotels, and a worked example.Read the guide →
- Finance, B Corp and policiesEnvironmental policy template for small businessesA one-page environmental policy is one of the most requested ESG documents. Here is a template you can adapt in 20 minutes, and what makes a policy credible.Read the guide →
- Carbon footprintHow to reduce the carbon footprint of a small businessMeasure first so you know your biggest source, then work through heating, electricity, vehicles, travel, waste, commuting and purchases in order. Includes a worked example.Read the guide →
Common questions
What do UK banks ask for on a green loan?
It depends on the product. Most green loans for SMEs are tied to eligible assets such as electric vehicles, solar panels or energy-efficient buildings, so the bank mainly needs to see what you are buying. A carbon baseline strengthens the case and gives you a way to show the improvement afterwards.
Can I use mileage instead of fuel receipts for my vans?
Yes. The questionnaire accepts fuel bought in litres, mileage records, or an estimate of annual mileage for each vehicle type, including electric vans and cars. The report labels which method you used.
What is a sustainability-linked loan?
It is a loan where the interest rate moves depending on whether you hit agreed sustainability targets. They follow Loan Market Association principles and are usually aimed at larger borrowers. Most small businesses will be looking at asset-based green loans instead.
Does the report cover staff using their own cars for work?
Yes. Business mileage in private cars, often called grey fleet, is calculated from mileage claims by fuel type and reported as Scope 3 business travel, along with taxis, hotels, flights and rail. Company-owned or leased vehicles sit in Scope 1.
Your first report is free.
Get your ESG report done today
Answer plain-English questions about how your business runs. You get your carbon footprint, a shareable ESG report and a clear list of next steps.
- First report free
- No card needed
- Saves as you go