The dark truth about your pension: New film reveals how UK savers are contributing to climate change

On Monday (April 11), a ‘people-powered’ marketing campaign launched a brand-new movie, aiming to lift consciousness about savers' pensions - and the stunning manner they may help battle the local weather disaster.

The motion, Make My Cash Matter, was based by UK movie director Richard Curtis in partnership with Jo Corbett, a former particular advisor to the federal government.

The brand new marketing campaign, #DeliverTheTruth, incorporates a quick movie directed by Curtis - often recognized for steering rom-coms akin to 'Love Truly'. He hopes to battle the businesses liable for driving “deforestation, damaging the atmosphere, and threatening lives and livelihoods throughout the planet.”

Earlier this 12 months, the marketing campaign reported that £2 (€2.40) in each £10 (€12.01) of a median British pension is linked to the destruction of forest areas throughout the globe, typically to make manner for actions akin to mining or urbanisation.

Who does the cash go to?

The report disclosed that over £300bn (€360bn) of UK pension fund investments are in corporations and monetary establishments with excessive deforestation threat.

Corporations with hyperlinks to agriculture and meals promote the chopping down of hundreds of hectares of forest to supply land to farm cattle, manufacture palm or develop cocoa. In response to the marketing campaign, this business is liable for 73 per cent of deforestation worldwide.

Infrastructure corporations are additionally criticised for clearing total forests to create space for his or her building. Oil and fuel, in addition to mining corporations, additionally massively contribute to deforestation attributable to their provide chains.

The information collected throughout the report factors the finger at sectors akin to manufacturing, retail, and banks and insurers too, and condemns the industries not directly inflicting deforestation. It additionally faults tobacco, infrastructure and actual property for immediately inflicting the difficulty.

Who's being impacted?

Whereas deforestation negatively impacts the atmosphere, the examine additionally talked about the displacement of Indigenous peoples and native communities because of the human-driven destruction of forest areas. In response to International Witness information shared by Make My Cash Matter, 2020 noticed 227 deadly assaults upon folks defending their houses, land and livelihoods.

The marketing campaign additionally highlights the staggering affect deforestation has on biodiversity.

Some of the biodiverse locations on earth, the Amazon Rainforest, is commonly focused by corporations aiming to become profitable from its assets, says the marketing campaign. In January 2022, an space 4 instances the scale of Liverpool was believed to have been misplaced to such sectors, says the BBC.

Whereas deforestation is fuelling an environmental and social disaster, the marketing campaign says additionally it is threatening savers’ skill to retire comfortably.

Canva
£2 (€2.40) in each £10 (€12.01) of a median British pension is linked to the destruction of forest areas throughout the globe.Canva

What does the brand new movie and the #DeliverTheTruth marketing campaign hope to do?

Having uncovered the little-known hyperlink between UK pensions and deforestation, the marketing campaign’s newest movie hopes to emphasize the shock and shock people expertise upon discovering the reality behind their cash.

One of many key goals of the brand new marketing campaign is to encourage firm pension schemes to undertake sustainable and environmentally-friendly investments, and to be extra clear with folks.

“We’re calling for folks to signal our petition to chop deforestation from our pensions and ensure our cash isn’t unknowingly serving to to destroy the planet,” says Izzy Howden, a campaigner and strategic guide at Make My Cash Matter.

“We actually need to get folks enthusiastic about the place their cash is invested, and to assist them take motion to ensure it’s not being utilized in ways in which don’t align with their values,” she provides.

The video hopes to affect folks to take motion, in order that their cash stops contributing towards environmental destruction.

What can folks do now?

“Within the quick time period our cash is contradicting our values,” says Curtis. “In the long run, it’s undermining the very futures we’re meant to be saving for.”

Make Cash Matter says that it’s unlikely an employer will know the affect your organization pension has, or how a lot it’s value to you.

By asking your employer the place your organization’s pension cash is invested nonetheless, you’re elevating consciousness concerning the affect pensions can have. You too can signal the marketing campaign’s petition, calling for all pension suppliers to decide to going deforestation free.

In response to Make Cash Matter, ‘greening’ your pension is 21 instances extra highly effective at slicing down your carbon footprint than the mix of going vegetarian, flying, and switching your power supplier.

The general public has this large weapon of their armoury when preventing for the planet,” provides Curtis, “the trillions of kilos of their pensions. Now's the time to make use of it.”

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