The 2024 Banking on Climate Chaos report showed that Bank of China provided US$ 145.094 Billion in financing to the fossil fuel industry between 2016 and 2023. In 2023 only, Bank of China provided US$ 8.434 Billion for oil, gas and coal companies expanding fossil fuels. Find further details on Bank of China fossil fuel portfolio and how it compares to other large banks globally on Fossil Banks No Thanks and in the Banking on Climate Chaos report.

Partner organisation Reclaim Finance tracks the coal, oil and gas policies of financial institutions, including banks, in their Coal Policy Tool (CPT) and the Oil and Gas Policy Tracker (OGPT). BankTrack works closely with Reclaim Finance and endorses their policy assessments. Find further details on their assessment of Bank of China’s fossil fuel policy below.

BankTrack assessed Bank of China in its 2024 Global Human Rights Benchmark, where it achieved 0.5 points out of 15 and was ranked as a “laggard”.

The bank scored 0 out of 3 points on the new “specific rights indicators”, which assess how banks address human rights defenders, Indigenous Peoples’ right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent and environmental rights in their policies and practices. 

In addition, Bank of China scored 0 out of 3 on how it responds to alleged human rights violations linked to its finance, which were raised by civil society organisations. More information is detailed in the “Accountability” section of this profile.

The table below shows BankTrack's assessment of how Bank of China has implemented the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Please click on 'expand all details' and 'explanation' for further information on the methodology.

Our policy assessments are always a work in progress. We very much welcome any feedback, especially from banks included in the assessments. Please get in touch at humanrights@banktrack.org.

Bank of China's policies for forest-risk sectors (beef, soy, palm oil, pulp and paper, rubber and timber) have been assessed by the Forests & Finance coalition, achieving an overall score of 0.2 out of 10 and ranking it as a laggard. Bank of China achieved a score of 0.2 out of 10 specifically for its policies related to the beef sector and 0.2 out of 10 for its policies related to the palm oil sector. In addition, BankTrack and the Environmental Paper Network have assessed Bank of China’s policies related to the pulp and paper sector. 

Between 2016 and 2022, Bank of China provided USD 3,648 million in credit to companies operating in these forest-risk sectors and held investments amounting to USD 1 million as of 2022. For more information, see the links below.

Partner organisation Reclaim Finance’s 2023 report on metallurgical coal financing showed that Bank of China provided US$ 1.8 billion in loans and underwriting to developers of new metallurgical coal between 2016 and 2022. Find further details on Bank of China’s metallurgical coal financing and and how it compares to other large banks globally in the report.

Reclaim Finance tracks the metallurgical coal policies of financial institutions, including banks, in their Coal Policy Tool. BankTrack works closely with Reclaim Finance and endorses their policy assessments. Find further details on their assessment of Bank of China’s metallurgical coal policy below.

According to a report by Reclaim Finance, between 2016 and June 2023, Bank of China provided $23 billion in finance to the fossil-steel industry, making it the 1st largest financier worldwide. Find further details on Bank of China’s steel financing and how it compares to other large banks globally in the report.