The Green Finance Podcast Ep. 10: How banks can help their customers lower their carbon footprint

Summary: We've talked a lot on this podcast about the growing consumer awareness around climate change. Considering the scale of the problem, a lot of us feel like we're not doing enough, but also that there's only so much we can do. It's hard to know even where to start as a person, and it gets even harder at company or government level. But we are learning, and one of the biggest lessons that I think will define this decade is how our financial choices impact the planet. We choose to shop at a particular store, we choose to buy from a certain brand and we choose to eat what we eat. Same goes for the financial system – banks and financial institutions choose who to lend to, and they choose which sectors warrant investments. Studies show that when it comes to their bank, consumers do care about alignment with personal values – it was the second-most prized service by bank customers, right after higher interest rates on savings accounts. The majority of people want to know more about the environmental impact of how they spend their money and want their banks to help them take action and reduce their environmental impact. Moreover, consumers also want their banks to decarbonize, considering the financial support they've given over the past decades to the fossil fuel industry, for example. But in order to make the right choices - that is, the choices with the least negative impact on the planet - we need information, we need tools. This means data and technology at scale. I'm talking about this today with my guest Emma Kisby, UK & Europe CEO of Cogo - a company that provides carbon footprint management products that enable individuals and businesses to measure, reduce and offset their impact on the climate. There's lots to cover, so let's dive right in. To read the transcript of our conversation, click here: https://tearsheet.co/the-green-finance-podcast/the-green-finance-podcast-ep-10-tangible-steps-banks-can-take-to-help-their-customers-lower-their-carbon-footprint/