A church, a sauna and climate change
Last week, I found myself recording a podcast in a sauna under a church in London, surrounded by the cast of a movie (including Roy Kent from Ted Lasso) who were busy filming a funeral scene.
All this talk of net-zero and 2050 feels like kicking the can down the road
I do think Roy (Brett Goldstein) was amused by me loudly proclaiming when I arrived at the church (without realising that I was on a movie set) that I hadn’t expected so many cameras for the podcast.
It was a first for me – not the church, podcast or the sauna, but the heady combination of all three. My host was the inimitable Monika Liikamaa, CEO and co-founder of Finnish payments company Enfuce.
The topic of the conversation was rather apt for the sauna. We discussed the ‘E’ in ESG and how the financial services and fintech sectors are responding to a warming world.
I have known Monika for a couple of years, and her directness and honesty are always incredibly refreshing. She was keen to get my perspective. But her questions were probing, and we had a frank discussion that got me thinking.
Words are cheap and not always beneficial – doing something can be game-changing
As I have focused on the climate agenda, I have attended a number of conferences and listened as experts extol the virtues of their products and services to help save the world. So often, it is just words.
It was not until I started to “focus” and “do” something that I genuinely understood more about what is happening in our world.
I have recently become a campaigner for clean rivers in the UK. What started as a small piece of citizen science has become a fascination with water, its sources, its usage by us and our profligate attitude towards it. By understanding the various players involved and the competing priorities, I have found myself in a position where I know more about the risks we all face and the impacts of flawed policy, bad business practice and an uneducated consumer. It is a heady mix. The loser at the moment is our waterways. Only 14% of the UK’s rivers are deemed to be ecologically sound. So, the rivers need informed, vocal champions to help hold governments and businesses accountable, and I am now part of that movement.
Every aspect of our natural world needs championing, not just by individual activists, groups and enterprises. I have proved to myself that I can make a difference in my own small way. Imagine the difference a large institution could make if it fully focuses on an issue.
So, as an individual reading this, or if you’re representing a big bank or a tiny fintech, find a climate cause, go deep and get people around you involved. You can pick something that aligns with your values or even something that fits with your brand colours.
The need for change, individually and collectively, is urgent
Most of us live our lives the same way we always have. This is absolutely fine, until it’s not. Increasingly, more and more people are being impacted by climate-related events which significantly impact their lives.
We once again find ourselves in unprecedented territory. Last week, Mother Nature unleashed biblical rainstorms across the world. This is something that is predicted in climate change models – a warming planet means more moisture in the atmosphere, which means more rain and deluges.
In the last week alone, we have had flooding across Europe, Libya and China. The pictures of what happened in Hong Kong must be seen to be believed. The loss of life in Libya is horrendous. My good friend Leda Glyptis, who has just returned from Greece, tells me the flooding there is unprecedented. The damage is here and now, with properties and infrastructure damaged, but also stretches into the future, with farms not able to plant on fields contaminated by polluted mud for at least five years. According to Leda, the floods are in Greece’s breadbasket, impacting the country’s food production and causing a host of knock-on implications over the next few years.
Finding ways to educate people, highlight the risks and change behaviours is essential. But it will only work if it is part of that broader narrative that includes government and business. But honestly, we don’t have time to waste. Financial institutions can help by declaring a climate emergency now and helping with that sense of urgency. All this talk of net-zero and 2050 feels like kicking the can down the road. Subliminally, the messaging is all wrong.
Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing
Finally, I have begun to wonder about the motivation of some of the companies involved in the climate change agenda. Why are they doing it? Most do it because they genuinely believe in the mission and the difference they can make. They place the planet at the centre of what they do. Others see a pure dollar opportunity. I am sceptical of those companies. Seeing the climate change agenda as a means to an end rather than an end feels too self-serving.
I am not against people profiting from great work, but partnering with the planet rather than exploiting it feels like a much more positive place to start.
About the author
Dave Wallace is a user experience and marketing professional who has spent the last 30 years helping financial services companies design, launch and evolve digital customer experiences.
He is a passionate customer advocate and champion and a successful entrepreneur.
Follow him on Twitter at @davejvwallace and connect with him on LinkedIn.
