What are the various aspects of responsible banking and what are the challenges faced by banks? In this interview, Aude Payan and Elena Fuzzi, respectively Director and Senior Manager in Risk Consulting and in charge of ESG services for credit institutions at KPMG provide detailed insight and examples for innovative strategies for financial institutions to advance ethical banking standards.
Climate change and money – how to ensure your portfolio is truly green?
Do our savings impact climate change and how can we invest sustainably? Bryan Ferrari, Investment and Portfolio Manager at Spuerkeess’ Private Banking provides insights as well as five useful tips on how to make sure your portfolio is green.
1. Bryan, can our savings really help fight the climate change?
An expert in sustainable finance once told me: "Every step further away from the status quo is a step in the right direction." Hence, yes, your savings can help fight climate change if invested in companies or funds that promote sustainable practices, clean energy, and eco-friendly technologies for example. By supporting these types of investments, you can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the negative impact on the environment.
2. How does Luxembourg compare to the rest of the world?
Luxembourg plays an important role in sustainable finance, as it is a leading global financial centre and a hub for international investment funds. There is a strong commitment to sustainable finance and all the actors have been working to promote sustainable investment practices for many years. Luxembourg has been at the forefront of developing and promoting sustainable finance products, such as green bonds and sustainability-linked loans. We also have established several initiatives to encourage sustainable investment, including the Luxembourg Green Exchange, which is the first and leading exchange dedicated to sustainable financial instruments.
Overall, Luxembourg's leadership in sustainable finance is helping to drive the transition to a more sustainable and low-carbon economy, and its efforts make a significant contribution to global efforts to address climate change and other sustainability challenges.
3. Give us some insights. What are the best green funds and stocks to buy?
There are many green funds and stocks to choose from, and the best ones for you will depend on your investment goals as well as your risk tolerance. Information is key, hence, browsing to the different web pages of the fund providers allows the potential investor to become familiar with the philosophy and the investment products of an asset manager.
I tend to prefer the "pure" players, those who have sustainable investments in their DNA and have been doing it for decades already while there are also some bigger, more generalist investment outfits that are making an excellent job. When it comes to sustainable stocks, it is rather tricky and dangerous as the "pure" players are usually smaller companies and, therefore, tend to be a bit more volatile than their bigger counterparts.
The same principle can be applied to the stocks: having a look at the web page and looking into the Corporate Social Responsibility report can provide clarity about a company's objectives.
Let me share a little secret: A good place to start is with your favourite sustainable fund and familiarise yourself with the holdings...and maybe even buy one of these companies directly if it fits your criteria!
4. You have convinced me. But how do I make sure that my green investments are truly sustainable?
As stated before, information is key. Once you are familiar and agree with the approach and the philosophy of a specific fund, usually there are no bad surprises as the manager must stick to the stated objectives. Different labels can help, like our local "Luxflag" label, the Belgian "towards sustainability", the French "ISR" or the German "FNG" label already provide assurance to the investor. All these labels apply strict standards and, thus, have the advantage of guaranteeing a certain oversight and follow-up.
Five useful tips:
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Inform yourself by heading over to the webpages of the fund providers. The impact reports by the fund providers should be of particular interest to you.
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Look around you in real life and research different products and services that contribute to a more sustainable future.
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Talk to your friends and family as they may give you valuable insights even if you do not always share their opinion.
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Stay curious and open to innovation. New strategies are continuously being brought to market.
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Leverage your gained knowledge and apply it to your daily life! Your finances and the environment will thank you!
About the blog:
There is an urgent need for rapid transition to global sustainability. Business and industry have enormous social and environmental impacts. "Why does it matter?" is a bi-monthly blog that aims to elucidate this important topic through the eyes of our experts.
Don't miss out our experts' practical tips for your daily life and be part of the positive change.