The Road to Creating Net Zero Banking
Eventually, Wildenborg left her outdoor education job to pursue her MBA at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. While there, she connected with representatives from Sunrise Banks. That meeting led to a summer internship, then a full-time position on the bank’s financial technology, or fintech, team. In that role, Wildenborg forged new partnerships with fintech customers and advanced the bank’s mission to promote financial wellness.
That work expanded to further the bank’s mission as a Certified B Corporation—a designation for organizations committed to meeting high, verified standards related to social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Wildenborg focused on developing a strategy for the bank to reach net-zero carbon emissions across the company by 2050.
“I analyzed the financed emissions of our loan portfolio, which highlighted the critical role of decarbonization in climate action,” says Wildenborg. “That work helped me see how the relationship between deposits and lending could be leveraged to support our customers’ carbon reduction efforts while advancing our bank’s own net zero goals.”
And through that work came a realization—that a bank account could be a simple, yet effective tool for customers to make positive inroads in the fight against climate change.
With that realization in mind, Wildenborg began building the framework for the Net Zero Banking program at Sunrise Banks. It consists of two key components: Net Zero Deposits and Net Zero Lending.
Why Your Bank Matters
When you deposit money into a checking, savings, or CD account, it doesn’t just sit there. Banks actively use that money as leverage to fund loans for a variety of projects, including some that harm the environment.
According to nonprofit Project Drawdown, big banks in the U.S. lend as much as 30 percent of their portfolio to industries that produce large amounts of carbon emissions. These can include oil and gas companies, aviation, transportation, mining, and data/tech centers.
A handful of banks have publicly pledged to be more climate-friendly. Some are choosing to cut customers with high emissions from their portfolio. Others lend to projects that actively cut carbon emissions or avoid putting them into the atmosphere altogether.
Wildenborg’s idea for Net Zero Banking takes that one step further. With Net Zero Deposits, customers can direct their money towards Net Zero Financing loans for climate-friendly projects, such as energy-efficient building upgrades, electric vehicles, or solar panel installations.
“Many people have never considered how their bank account could impact climate change,” says Wildenborg. “That moment of realization is powerful as it shifts the conversation from abstract sustainability to something personal and actionable.”
The Launch and the Feedback
Wildenborg worked with multiple teams within Sunrise Banks to develop the Net Zero Banking program. By the spring of 2024, the program was ready for its soft launch. The plan was to first roll it out to the bank’s business customers, then expand it to personal banking customers.
Wildenborg sought to make the process as simple as possible for customers. All they have to do is tell a banker they want to earmark their savings, checking, or CD account as a Net Zero Deposits account.
”What struck me most is how passive the action is and how choosing where your money sits can have a major climate impact,” she says. “It is rare to find something so simple yet so effective. It feels like a no-brainer.”
Yet, Wildenborg says no other banks in the U.S. are addressing climate change the way Sunrise Banks is with its Net Zero Banking program.
In discussing the growing demand for climate-aligned financial products, Wildenborg emphasized what sets the model apart: “Net Zero Deposits is unique because it tells you the story behind your bank account. You know exactly how your money is being put to work by funding decarbonization projects, and you can even calculate the carbon footprint of your savings. It’s banking with transparency, purpose, and measurable climate action.”
Documenting the Proof
The Net Zero Banking program has been in the market for nearly 2 years. Last summer, Sunrise Banks released its first report detailing the program’s impact to date. It also compared those impacts to other ways people may choose to cut their carbon footprint.
For example, the report showed that in the first six months of the program, customers directed approximately $4.4 million in Net Zero deposits to loans that funded climate-friendly projects.
Those projects prevented about 242 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. That is equivalent to powering 50 single-family homes with clean electricity for one year.
The report also showed that holding $10,000 into a Net Zero Deposits account cuts the same amount of carbon emissions as driving an electric vehicle for one year.
Highlighting the power of everyday financial decisions, Wildenborg noted, “Shifting your money from a carbon-intensive bank account to Net Zero Deposits is a simple, high-impact climate action. It ensures your funds actively advance sustainability and community resilience.”
Educating the Public
Wildenborg has given dozens of presentations and interviews over the past 18 months to promote the benefits of Net Zero Banking. She says education has become a powerful tool for highlighting that impact, especially for customers seeking companies with similar values.
“We see a spike in new accounts after nearly every presentation or webinar,” she says. “The enthusiasm is translating into real growth as people share what they’ve learned with their communities.”
Wildenborg has also been personally recognized for her work in developing the Net Zero Banking program at Sunrise Banks. The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal honored her as one of its 2025 40 Under 40 recipients. Finance and Commerce, another Twin Cities business newspaper, named her to its 2024 Top Women in Finance list. She was also named an Outstanding Women in Banking recipient by BankBeat Magazine.
While the awards and accolades are special, Wildenborg says what matters most is the long-term impact of Net Zero Banking on climate change. In the long term, she sees Net Zero Banking becoming a catalyst for communities seeking to become more climate-resilient.
“This program should not only fund Net Zero projects but also serve as a resource for companies – and individuals – pursuing sustainability,” she says.
Learn more about Net Zero Banking at Sunrise Banks.
Article by Amanda Theisen, the communications manager for Sunrise Bank. Member FDIC.