Fintech startups are launching green pension products. But can they actually get people to engage with the important — but boring — issue of retirement savings? A recent survey in the UK found that 44% of people would switch over to a green pension if they could, despite the fact that the average UK pension holder finances 23 tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year through the companies they invest in.
Vantik, which invests customers’ money in its own ETF, has put its portfolio through a “negative selection” process where investments in industries such as weapons, oil and gas and nuclear energy are off the cards, while companies that have a positive climate impact are prioritised. “We still invest into index funds, but with an ESG filter to make sure that we follow that criteria,” founder Til Klein adds.