When I was a teenager in Germany, at the age of 16, 35 years ago, we distributed sun cream factor 100 and bananas “grown in Germany”, to alert people in an engaging way about global warming. The curve of greenhouse gas emissions has only continued going up ever since. Today, 75 per cent of children and youth worldwide are scared by global warming, according to a recent report by “The Lancet”.
So, being a mother myself today, why do I have hope for children’s future?
Because I discovered the massive potential of everyone’s banking choices for an effective response to the climate emergency.
Every bank account holder can request that their assets are not invested into sectors known to accelerate global warming, but instead by shifted to renewable energies development.
This powerful lever for climate solutions – none of the children suffering from eco-anxiety have any influence on.
Most of them do not yet have bank accounts, and cannot undertake stakeholder engagement to defend their right to a future. Children worldwide try what they can at the expense of sacrificing school and their right to play.
But we, adults, can efficiently influence the investment choices of our banks.
This is why @WCC4children together with UNEP-FI, UNEP Faith for Earth, the Muslim Council of Elders and the NY Board of Rabbis, published this year a high-level appeal asking our financial service providers to align with the Paris Agreements.
The statement is supported by United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who underlined. “The scientific and moral imperative is clear: there must be no new investment in fossil fuel expansion.”
As documented by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), this is a condition for the planet to remain inhabitable for future generations.
Many people in the decision-making seats are not yet aware how much their assets are contributing to global warming. They do not have the intention to harm children.
Let us come together and influence how money is invested. Family money, a company’s money, a nation’s money. We need everyone to take this step for children.
This is why we started assembling free capacity building resources for all on climate-responsible banking. For example, a draft letter which anyone can send to their banks and pension funds.
It takes 10 minutes to send it to the CEO’s of your financial service providers.
By doing so, you can help billions of young people worldwide – lifting a far too heavy burden from their shoulders. Because money will then be re-directed into the acceleration of renewable energy solutions. It’s amazing to see that so many solutions already exist. But most of the green technologies for now cannot be accelerated and spread broadly - because of lack of investments into innovation research:
For example in Dubai – a high school has become net-zero by converting all energy produced in the gym classes into energy.
In Canada, the first airplane entirely fuelled by hydrogen transported passengers.
A bright future is possible if all of us engage with our banks and pension funds, so that our money no longer fuels the climate crisis, but accelerates solutions through renewable energy systems.
The solution is in our hands.
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