There’s no denying that the world is currently in the middle of a climate crisis. In fact, one leading energy expert recently said we only have six months to change the course of the climate crisis. That’s why we should all consider making our finances more sustainable.
Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, said: “This year is the last time we have, if we are not to see a carbon rebound.”
Previously, I explained why we shouldn’t rush back to normal. One of those reasons was climate change. This seemed to resonate with a lot of readers, so rather than just giving a list of problems, I’ve compiled five simple things we can all do to make our finances more sustainable.
It’s important to note that this does not constitute personal advice. If you’re not sure whether an investment or savings account is right for you please seek professional financial advice.
1. Move to an ethical bank
For many of us, especially younger people, the majority of our money is held in our main bank account. This could be a current account, a savings account or an ISA – or often a combination of all three.
This means inadvertently you are supporting your bank’s values and investments. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, there are banks that focus on ethical and environmental issues that may better reflect your values. These could allow you to make a positive impact simply by having an account with them.
In the UK, there are a few ethical banks you could consider. Bristol-based Triodos is one option. Built on the premise of “your money has the power to change the world,” it has to date has issued £7 billion in loans across Europe to projects benefitting people and the planet.
Other options include Monzo, which was founded as an “alternative to the banking of the past.” Or try the Co-operative Bank, which is one of very few high street banks to have a clearly stated ethical policy covering a range of issues.
2. Check your investments
Are you aware which companies the funds you invest in hold in their portfolios? Worryingly, most people are not.
There are now a lot of ESG (environmental, social, governance) focused funds. These allow you to choose what you invest in. Even these can differ greatly in their composition, however. This means it is important to look closely at the whole portfolio.
Funds also change the makeup of their portfolios over time. Even if you know which investments you held originally, it’s worth checking at least quarterly to see if anything has changed.
This is an example of how having a trusted financial adviser can really benefit you. If they understand your preferences, values and goals, they can make sure your investments always reflect this and make suggestions of other suitable options you may be interested in. This takes a lot of the hard work away from you.
3. Do research into companies you buy from
Vote with your wallet. We all make financial decisions on a near-daily basis, whether it’s the coffee you buy on the way to work, the dress you ordered from ASOS, or your Netflix subscription. It’s always worth asking yourself ‘does this company support my values and beliefs?’
Fast fashion has rightly come under fire for its detrimental environmental impact. But, it’s also important to consider the impact of all your online purchases. When you stop and think, Amazon’s service, where you can order a book at 8pm and it will arrive by 11am the next morning, cannot be good for the environment. Waiting a bit longer for it to be delivered or popping to your local independent store will be more time consuming. But, it could have a much lower environmental impact.
There are times when you can’t boycott a shop on ethical grounds, whether due to your financial circumstances, lack of alternative availability or time constraints. But it can be a useful principle to consider, particularly when making more extravagant or indulgent purchases.
4. Switch your pension
Personally, I found this the easiest change to make. The vast majority of full-time employees in the UK qualify for auto-enrolment into a workplace pension scheme. If you’re not sure what this is, you can read more about pensions and your entitlements here.
Like most people, I didn’t pay too much attention to mine at first, other than checking I could log onto my online account and that the payments were going through correctly. However, a few months ago I logged on to see how much the pandemic had impacted my pension pot. I realised there was an option to select which fund my pension was invested in.
By default, I had been investing in the standard fund. Simply by clicking a button I changed it to the provider’s sustainable fund. The whole process took about 2 minutes, hasn’t impacted my investment performance (yet) and made a genuine difference to funding sustainable businesses.
5. Consider switching energy providers
This tip not only helps you make your finances more sustainable, but may also save you money. This is rarely a bad thing!
Some energy providers focus solely on renewable energy sources and reinvest their profits to develop new and sustainable energy sources. In the UK, one of these is Bulb. All of its energy is renewable and 100 percent of its gas is carbon neutral. In fact, the average Bulb member lowers their carbon impact by 3.4 tonnes of CO2 a year. That’s the hard work of around 1,689 trees.
Bulb also offers a referral discount, so if you can convince a friend to switch too you could both save around £25.
There are other options available such as Green Energy UK and Octopus Energy, both of which also offer 100 percent renewable energy to their customers.
If you found this post interesting, please like it and share across social media or send it to your friends. I’d also love to hear your thoughts and experiences, especially if you have any green finance tips, so please do leave a comment! How do you make your finances more sustainable?
Don’t forget to follow me on social media @Katie20Percent to keep up to date with all my latest posts and content!
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