The Bundesbank’s Bank Lending Survey has found that for the third successive time, there was a strong decline in demand for loans to households for house purchase. BLS respondents in the first quarter of 2023 said this was mainly due to increased interest rates, sentiment in the housing market and reduced consumer confidence.

30.09.2025 | 12th SAFE Asset Pricing Workshop | Frankfurt am Main

Climate change and the transition to a climate-neutral economy are also presenting banks with major challenges. On the one hand, extreme weather events can directly impair banks’ loan collateral if, for example, property is destroyed. On the other hand, the transition to a climate-neutral economy can have an indirect impact on banks if the underlying conditions for enterprises change substantially and sometimes unpredictably. Banks need to develop new methods in order to measure and manage the resulting risks. Supervisors will be keeping a close eye on the progress made by banks in this area over the next few years.