Our thinking

Green money

6 November, 2020

If you watched David Attenborough’s: A Life on our Planet recently, it may be the first time you became fully aware of the role that our banking, pensions and investments play in climate change. Since the Paris Agreement in 2015, US$2.7 trillion, for example, has been invested into expanding the fossil fuel sector by the world’s largest banks. It’s hard to connect the dots between the daily decisions we make about our money, and what is happening elsewhere, but the documentary did a great job of making those connections.

Making more ethical banking, investments and pension choices is an excellent and easy way to do something positive for the planet, as well as being a way of passing some of the time in lockdown 2.

Purposeful Money is a good place to start. The platform offers independent financial advice on socially responsible investing, and makes ethical advice affordable for anyone who wants to integrate values into their choices on pensions, ISAs and other financial products.

If you are looking for something different, and slightly less mainstream, the Tridos Crowdfunding Platforms give you the chance to invest directly in pioneering organisations, from renewables, to community hubs and organic food businesses.

Or if you are looking to change your pension, Aviva (a Good Business client) has recently launched a pension investment strategy that is based on the Aviva Stewardship funds, the first ethical funds to be launched in the UK. The funds take into account company’s ESG policies, as well as excluding businesses that invest in tobacco, pornography or coal mining.

And finally, get talking to your friends and family about green banking and ethical investments. We don’t tend to talk about money, but how about using that next Zoom catch up to start a conversation?

By Gemma Coate