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~ the monthly gather ~

Green finance: what's the big deal?

Hey there, gatherer. Want to fight climate change from your sofa?

There’s one action you can take today that’s 21 times more effective at reducing your carbon footprint than giving up flying, becoming vegetarian or switching to a renewable energy provider COMBINED. It’s greening your pension, gatherers. Why? - it's likely investing in Amazon deforestation, or new fossil fuel projects

Our bank accounts are also bankrolling the climate crisis. Coal, oil and gas firms have 
received 3.8 trillion dollars from banks since the 2015 Paris climate deal. And the City of London is the biggest centre for coal finance in Europe. It’s time to make a change and find a bank that’s not fueling climate change.

We’ve got a step-by-step guide to making the switch below, as well as other ways to fight for system change. Your money is powerful: use it to help the planet.


Team Gather x

Low-impact living: our top tip this month

Wanna break up with your bank? Here's how. At Gather we've gone with Starling Bank, and some of our personal accounts are with Triodos UK
Reality check: how bad is your bank? Check if it's funding fossil fuels and fueling climate chaos. And what about bankrolling plastics
Now you know the truth about your current bank, make the switch! Ethical Consumer rates Triodos, Cumberland BS, Nationwide, Monzo and Starling best.
Spread the word. Encourage others to make the switch. Tweet about it, and email your bank to let them know why you're leaving them.  
That's it. You're done. Have a cup of tea and put your feet up, knowing you've taken a huge step to fight climate change - from your sofa. 

Spotlight on... greening Gather's bills

Let's look at a couple of other ways we keep Gather's finances green - and how you could, too.

Our internet provider. Why might your broadband not be green? Well, apart from the likely tax avoidance, their data centres might not be run on renewable energy and they might not have strong enough policies around the use of conflict minerals. 
So we use Green ISP - a small, independent, not-for-profit, UK company that buys from renewable energy companies. They work with Treesponsibility to offset their carbon emissions and plant a tree for every new customer.

Our insurance provider. Like banks and pensions, insurance providers have huge amounts in investments. Is your home, car or travel insurer making an attempt to address the climate impact of its investments? Gather uses Naturesave. 10% of their premiums go to environmental and conservation projects. Check out Insure Our Future - a coalition pressuring insurance companies to get out of fossil fuels. 

Outrage + Optimism. Delve into episodes on pensions, finance and life after capitalism

'Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World'. Jason Hickel explores post-capitalism.


The Breakdown explores climate change, where we're headed and how to make a difference.

@planetbananna_ for ways to change your mindset and consumption habits.
Want to take action?

~ all about you ~

We'd love to know: what've you been learning - or unlearning?
Any local eco-related happenings you'd like us to shout about? 
And how can we help you on your journey to a low-impact life?

 
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Gather
121 Bellenden Road
London SE15 4QY

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