Podcast: Banking on green loans

This week on The Greener Way, host Michelle Baltazar chats with Grace Tam, head of consumer finance at the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), on how the Australian government, through the CEFC, is driving record levels of green loan applications.

According to the CEFC, the number of loans made under the Household Energy Upgrades Fund™ more than doubled between the first and second halves of 2025, up by 158 per cent. More than 4,100 loans have been made and over 10,000 technology installations completed since the fund was launched.

Tam explains what's worked, the misconceptions around green loans and how lenders are adopting a new approach to appeal to investors and 'green' households.

00:49 What is the CEFC's purpose?

01:02 The latest on the $1bn Household Energy Upgrades Fund

02:33 What is a green loan?

03:21 The green lending ecosystem

05:38 The uptake and key lessons

07:16 The rise of virtual power plants

08:41 Has the risk around green lending changed?

09:54 Barriers and the need for more consumer education

11:10 How lenders are partnering with third parties

12:53 A small window of opportunity

We record on Gadigal land and we pay our respects to the traditional custodians of country and elders, past and present.

https://www.fssustainability.com.au/