E36: Is my pension funding climate change? With Rotimi Merriman-Johnson, Jesse Griffiths and Giorgia Antonacci

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Have you ever wondered if your pension is funding climate change? We all know about the damage greenhouse gases do to the world. According to Make My Money Matter, by greening our pensions, we could cut our carbon footprint 21 times more than by going veggie, or giving up flying or switching energy providers. However, sustainable investing has been met with some scepticism over the years, so in this episode we're going to dig into the detail. 

Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and our expert panel as they help you make confident choices about your own pension:

• Qualified Financial Adviser and Founder of Mr.MoneyJar, Rotimi Merriman-Johnson;
• CEO of the Finance Innovation Lab, Jesse Griffiths; and
• PensionBee’s Senior ESG Manager, Giorgia Antonacci.

 

Episode Breakdown:

01:42 The link between pensions and climate change

04:18 The fossil fuel industry

05:36 Does investing sustainably mean lower returns?

09:13 The rising cost of living

11:22 Can individuals make a difference?

15:52 What makes a sustainable pension fund?

17:21 Greenwashing, labelling and timescales

22:28 What action can pension savers take?

23:42 Influencing change

27:39 Final thoughts

 

Further reading, listening and watching:

To learn more about finances, pensions and divorce, check out these articles, podcasts and videos from PensionBee:

• E36 transcript 
• Under the hood of the Climate Plan
• The Climate Plan
• PensionBee’s Climate Plan (Video)
• ESG investing and its impact on pensions 
• Sustainable investing - how to make a positive impact with your pension
• How we can use our pensions to drive positive change whilst saving for retirement
• E1: Making a positive impact with your pension - with Clare Reilly, and Damien Fahy (Podcast)
• Three reasons to think about where your pension’s invested
• Championing our customers’ views
• How is the FCA cracking down on greenwashing?
• 5 sustainable investing myths debunked
• Your Fossil Fuel Free Plan switch questions, answered

 

Other useful resources:

• ShareAction
• Make My Money Matter
• Financial Conduct Authority
• Carbon Tracker
• Financial Stability Board
• The Institute of Actuaries
• Government Green Taxonomy
• Morgan Stanley Capital international (MSCI)
• Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing
• MSCI's ESG rating scale
• India's wheat output dented by heatwave, could limit government stock building (Reuters) 
• FCA labelling scheme
• Institute of Actuaries study
• Accelerating to net zero (CBI)
• Morgan Stanley Sustainable Reality Report
• Revealed: oil sector’s ‘staggering’ $3bn-a-day profits for last 50 years (Guardian)
• Pension funds should protect our future, not destroy it (Greenpeace)
• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

 

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Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:

• The Pension Confident Podcast

• The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube

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