Part of a series of blogs from Emma Burlow, Founder of Lighthouse Sustainability.
Money, money, money. Must be funny? In a rich man’s world?
Not funny ‘ha ha’ that’s for sure. But maybe funny that despite my best efforts to post useful sustainability-framed content on LinkedIn, my ‘Taylor Swift is the least of our worries’ post had some of the highest analytics we’ve ever seen! My later comment on Swifty becoming a new female billionaire in a sea of billionaire men, gathered what can only be described as a ‘hefty’ response from commenters and one unfortunate block; hey it happens to the best of us 😊
So, having money and a lavish lifestyle can make you a target for eco-criticism for sure. Inequalities in the world rightly rile us and may even add to feelings of ‘What’s the point in taking action whilst Swifty hops on another private jet?’
Well, as we learn through Carbon Literacy, there is always a point, and individual actions, shared and built upon, become powerful agents for change.
What people do with their money can be both captivating and devastating in terms of their sustainability impact and legacy.
Banks and popstars might have the biggest impact, but in our own personal lives and businesses, where we put our money is way out front in terms of things we should (and can) act on first.
At Lighthouse, I started banking with Starling Bank from the outset and quickly moved our personal accounts too. Its mid-table in MotherTree’s Carbon Emissions Bank League Table, but wins for us in terms of convenience also. Nationwide, Coop and Virgin Money are other good options.
Dan Sherrard-Smith from MotherTree is our sustainable money guru*. We’re very happy to be including some of his brilliant content in our upcoming Carbon Literacy for Finance course.
Switching your bank and pensions may not give you rock stardom, but in terms of your impact on the planet, it will almost certainly be the most powerful thing you ever do.
What are you waiting for?
*if you’d welcome support from Dan, we can put you in touch, or if you reach out, tell him we sent you – it helps!
– Emma Burlow
Founder, Lighthouse Sustainability