How many banks and building societies are there in the centre of Taunton? writes Sigurd Reimers.
How many can you name, and can you place them in some kind of geographical order?
Okay, well done.
But can you rate them by the degree of damage their investments are doing to nature, the climate, and our children’s future?
Why not do a search?
The upcoming season of goodwill offers the older generation a perfect opportunity to do something about that: Open an ethical bank or building society account for a child/grandchild/nephew/niece/young friend.
There is still a chance to shop around.
A while ago I went into most of the banks in the town centre and asked if I could open a sustainable investment account.
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Mostly the counter staff, who are used to handling complex financial questions accurately and courteously, said they didn’t have any such accounts.
Did they know, I asked, whether their bank invested in fossil fuels, for instance, since these damage the health of many young people, and the future of all of them?
Most didn’t know, but a couple went to check and came back, amazed that their bank was involved in such damaging investments.
I thanked them and informed them that most High Street banks are at fault, but that some are much worse than others.
And there’s the rub.
We don’t have to be purists or self-righteous; we just exercise our rights as consumers and go for the least damaging solution easily available.
Banks worry about their reputation, especially if a lot of their customers are exercising those rights.
Christmas is coming!
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