Green finance: how lenders are driving the transition

Green finance was once seen as one of the biggest long-term growth opportunities in specialist lending. Three years ago, lenders across the asset finance market were building sustainability teams, launching green asset lists, and introducing preferential funding terms for energy-efficient assets in anticipation of rising demand driven by net zero policy, corporate ESG commitments, and the transition to cleaner technologies.

The reality has proved more complex.

At the Finance Connect UK Summer Conference 2026 on Thursday 4th June 2026, at Kings Place, London, a dedicated green finance panel will bring together leading practitioners from across the industry to discuss why the market has developed more slowly than many expected — and how lenders are adapting to make green finance commercially viable in current conditions.

The session – Green finance: can lenders lead the transition? – will explore the practical challenges of funding green assets at a time when customer economics, infrastructure development, and residual value uncertainty continue to create barriers to scale.

For many lenders, underwriting green assets has required a significant shift away from traditional asset finance approaches. Financing electric fleets, renewable energy infrastructure, or emerging low-carbon technologies often resembles project finance more than conventional equipment lending. Residual values remain uncertain, technology continues to evolve rapidly, and customer viability can depend heavily on external factors such as charging infrastructure, electricity pricing, and government policy.

At the same time, the wider political and economic backdrop has become more difficult. Global consensus around climate investment has weakened in some markets, with investor focus increasingly shifting back towards short-term returns. Borrowers themselves are also facing pressure from higher costs, economic uncertainty, and slower investment cycles, making long-term transition planning more challenging.

Despite this, lenders still active in the market are continuing to innovate.

The session will examine how specialist finance providers are adapting underwriting models, developing deeper expertise in specific green asset classes, and working more closely with customers to support transition strategies. It will also provide an update on the British Business Bank Green Growth Guarantee Scheme pilot — a targeted initiative designed to support lending where traditional second-hand asset data does not yet exist.

The panel will feature:

Philippe Bazin, Head of Sustainable Energy and Green Infrastructure, Novuna
Sam Allison, International Programme Manager (Healthcare & Green Energy), Groupe BPCE Equipment Solutions
Lauren Pamma, Head of Energy & Infrastructure Finance, Aldermore Bank
Jamie Sands, head of solutions, Welch Group (haulage operator transitioning to electric fleet)

Bringing together perspectives from lenders and operators actively involved in the transition, the discussion will provide delegates with a candid view of what is working in green finance today, where the biggest barriers remain, and what still needs to change for sustainable finance to move from specialist niche to mainstream market opportunity.

The session forms part of the wider programme at the Finance Connect UK Summer Conference 2026, which takes place on Thursday 4 June 2026 at Kings Place and brings together leaders from across the asset, auto, equipment, business lending and receivables finance sectors.

Find out more and book your place at the conference via https://afcconferenceuk.com/assetfinanceconnect2026/en/page/book-now