How many activists for climate change don’t know that they are investing in fossil fuels?

How many vegans and vegetarians don’t know that they are investing in the meat industry?

How many healthcare workers don’t know that they are investing in tobacco?

You are doing great things by changing your habits, by refilling and recycling, by protesting and by lobbying, but for most of us, our pension fund is 27 times more powerful a lever for change and for most of us, they are working against us. In the UK, we have £3 Trillion in our pension funds.

What if you were an oncologist who had treated cancer patients for more than 10 years and saw how bad smoking was for people every single day? And what if you then found out your pension was invested in British American Tobacco, in Imperial Tobacco and in Philip Morris?

That’s what happened to Bronwyn King. Watch her Ted Talk here

She inspired Richard Curtis, he of Comic Relief, Black Adder, Four Weddings, Mr Bean, etc. to launch ‘Make My Money Matter’ and start a conversation with individuals about what their pensions are investing in.

Most of us have flexibility in our pension funds, but most of us go for the default option – and it’s rare that the default option doesn’t invest in these companies. Many of us have the option to move the fund product that our pension is invested in.

Take a look. Speak to your IFA. Speak to your company’s pension fund administrator.

There are loads of good investment products available and the smart money is moving there – fast.

There are sites that can help Fossil Free Funds As you sow

And, when Comic Relief moved their fund to a sustainable product, the fund made more money.

If you care about your kids’ futures, find out which companies you are investing in. And make the change.

Other references:

Global Optimism – View regular podcasts UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) – View