Insights - TreasurySpring

Press release: Corporate treasurers take more selective approach to sustainable finance, TreasurySpring survey finds

Written by TreasurySpring | Mar 19, 2026 9:02:22 AM

 

  • Just over half of treasurers are already invested in, or planning to invest in, sustainable finance products, while 42% have no plans to invest
  • Green revolving credit facility use drops from 28% to 2.6% in two years
  • 65.8% of respondents report increased internal support for or no pushback against sustainability initiatives within their organisations.

London, [March 19, 2026] – TreasurySpring, the global cash investment platform, has launched the latest iteration of its sustainable finance survey, conducted in collaboration with the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT).

Now in its fourth year, the study offers insight into how corporate treasury teams are incorporating sustainability into their investment and financing strategies. Based on a global survey of corporate treasurers, collectively representing an estimated £15–20 billion in cash balances, the findings suggest ESG adoption within treasury is becoming more selective as companies reassess where sustainability fits within financial decision-making against a volatile backdrop of regulatory change and geopolitical uncertainty.

The survey highlights a clear divide in the market: just over half of organisations (51.3%) report they are already invested in sustainability-focused products or planning to invest, while 42.1% say they are not currently invested and have no plans to do so. At the same time, sustainability continues to influence core treasury activities, particularly cash investing, where 35.5% of treasury teams say ESG factors play a role in investment decisions.

Key findings:

  • Cash investing remains the main touchpoint: Sustainability influenced cash investment decisions for 35.5% of treasury teams in 2025, up slightly from 30% in 2024 but down from 63% in 2022.
  • Market divided on adoption: Just over half of treasurers are already invested or planning to invest in sustainable finance products, while 42% have no plans to invest.
  • Plans to enter sustainable financing remain limited: More than half of respondents (52.6%) say they are unlikely to enter into any sustainable financing in the next year, while interest in specific instruments has declined. Planned green revolving credit facilities fell from 28% of respondents in 2023 to just 2.6% in 2025, while sustainability-linked bonds remain the only product seeing modest growth.
  • Internal support for sustainability remains resilient: Despite wider political debate, 65.8% of respondents report increased internal support for or no pushback against sustainability initiatives within their organisations.
  • Knowledge gaps remain the biggest barrier: A quarter of respondents (25%) cite lack of knowledge as the primary obstacle to adopting sustainable finance products, while concerns about greenwashing have declined from 22% in 2024 to 14.5% in 2025.
  • Technology emerging as a key driver: Half of respondents (50%) expect artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to have the greatest impact on their organisation’s sustainability strategy in the coming years.

Nigel Owen, Head of Corporate Origination at TreasurySpring, commented: “This year’s survey has provided some cementing of existing trends, and some interesting shifts in others. Treasury teams that were already committed to embedding sustainability in their day-to-day work have doubled down on it.

It was a pleasant surprise to see fears of being accused of greenwashing subsiding, however there is clearly more education to be done on the topic to allow treasurers to fully utilise sustainable finance in their work.”

James Winterton, Associate Director - Policy & Technical at the Association of Corporate Treasurers, noted: "The report's insights are welcome. Its key findings are largely consistent with the conversations we have been having with corporate treasurers and investors: that sustainable finance is becoming embedded as a core ‘Business as Usual’ competence, with an increased focus on transition finance. Sustainable finance needs to be viewed through the lens of financial risk management – beyond reporting compliance – and the ACT is active in promoting greater understanding of the treasurer's role in managing these risks."

Sam Dodd, Senior Manager, Fixed Income, Primary Markets at the London Stock Exchange Group, said: “The findings in this year’s survey point to steady progress for sustainable finance within treasury functions. Sustainability is increasingly being expressed through disciplined decision‑making, particularly in areas such as cash investment and counterparty selection. This reflects a shift towards practical application within core treasury activities.

As sustainability becomes embedded into core financial processes, we anticipate the next phase of sustainable finance in treasury will be driven less by new products and more by capability underpinned by data and technology.”

Read the full report here.

ENDS

 

Notes to Editors

About TreasurySpring

 

Founded in 2016, TreasurySpring is the global cash investment platform transforming how institutions manage excess liquidity. It delivers simple, secure, and scalable infrastructure that enables corporations, fund managers, and other leading institutions to access 1000+ cash products through a single onboarding to its full service digital platform.

TreasurySpring has facilitated $350bn+ in issuance and serves more than 875 clients across 28 jurisdictions in the UK, US, and Europe. The company developed Fixed-Term Funds (FTFs) to deliver access to a diverse universe of wholesale cash investment options spanning governments, supranationals, tri-party repo, centrally cleared repo, and corporate debt markets. FTFs are available in eight major currencies and all cash investment tenors, from one day to 12 months+.

 

The portal enables clients to manage cash duration precisely, diversify beyond traditional bank deposits and money market funds, and access secured funding markets that were historically only available to the largest global financial institutions.

Backed by Balderton, MMC Ventures and Mubadala Capital, and with offices in London and New York, TreasurySpring has established itself as a leading global provider of institutional cash investment infrastructure.

For more information visit treasuryspring.com.



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