Ethical Banking: How Triodos Bank Supports Impactful Businesses

Ellen Harrison, from Triodos Bank UK, shares an example of one of the impactful businesses that the bank supports.

Last October, start-up business Ember launched a new coach route between Edinburgh and Dundee. In a first for the UK, the service is run solely with 100% electric coaches, which make the 125-mile roundtrip between Dundee and Edinburgh on a single charge.

Triodos Bank UK, a long-term partner of Ethical Superstore, only finances organisations that have a positive impact on the planet and society. Ember is an example of an innovative business doing just that.

Founded in 2019, Edinburgh-based Ember is planning to disrupt the status quo of coach travel and create a fully electric and tech-enabled future for public transport. “Building our technology from the ground up means we are optimising everything around a fully electric fleet,” says Pierce Glennie, one of Ember’s co-founders. “This allows us to offer lower prices and a better service, all with zero emissions.”

The Dundee-Edinburgh journey, Ember’s first route, takes just over 90 minutes one way and allows residents and tourists to enjoy an affordable, comfortable and zero-emissions option on a route that is currently underserved.

Talking about his aims for the route, Pierce adds: “We’re hoping to give passengers a taste of the future and show them that unreliable, shaky coaches are a thing of the past.” Bookings can be made online and travellers will be able to track the bus in real-time using an app on their phones.

Ember is looking to use its initial two-coach pilot to prove that the technology, operational capacity and demand for electric coach travel is viable. It plans to open up further routes in the future and continues to be a trailblazer in the sector. For example, the company plans to integrate its network with ‘final mile’ transport – bikes, scooters, taxis and more – to make the whole journey from A to B seamless.

The purchase of the two electric coaches was supported by lending from Triodos Bank UK. The loan allowed the company to launch with two coaches, rather than one, giving Ember the opportunity to run a more frequent service from launch.

Supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy is a fundamental objective for Triodos, so being part of a pioneering project such as this is extremely exciting for the bank.

Many of us don’t realise that banks use our money to invest and lend to a range of organisations – just like Ember. With sustainable banks like Triodos, your money can have a positive impact on people’s lives, protect the planet, and build stronger communities.