
Mon 16 November 2020
FNZ to acquire Silica from Ninety One
The acquisition supports FNZ’s long-term strategy of expanding the accessibility…
Shifting consciousness from how we spend our money to how we save our money could be the necessary key to a more sustainable, resilient world.
In parallel with this backdrop, whilst more conscious consumerism has been gathering steam in recent years, attention is now shifting to another powerful way in which we have freedom over our choices – our savings. The freedom to choose not only where we spend, but also how we save, can have powerful consequences. In just one example by Nordea, analysis shows that it’s 27 times more powerful to change to environmentally conscious investing than to switch to a plant-based diet or stop flying. If this is true, and given the complex environmental and societal factors behind today’s critical challenges, is it possible that we could save, rather than only spend, our way to a more sustainable, resilient world?
Catherine Howarth, CEO of the campaign group ShareAction points to a rise in consumer consciousness amongst more informed shoppers about how they spend their money. Shifts to more conscious consumerism have broader consequences for driving the success of companies in the future. But is this encouraging us to think beyond how we spend, and towards how we save?
Supporting this, research finds that responsible investment is a powerful motivator for ‘Generation DC’, 22-38-year-olds, the first generation to rely heavily on DC pensions to fund their retirement needs. [1] 45% of respondents said they would be motivated to increase their own contributions if their pension incorporated responsible investing, with a 20% estimated increase in the amount currently contributed by employees represented by additional contributions if responsible considerations were incorporated.
Finally, technology is a powerful enabler of our freedom to make choices that are in line with our priorities, both financial and non-financial. Increased reliance on technology not only by consumers, but also platform providers, advisers and wealth managers, both to deliver access to personalised investment solutions, and for delivering guidance or education individualised to personal needs, presents challenges but also a powerful opportunity.
Over half of respondents in the Franklin Templeton’s Generation DC report said they wanted responsible investment information delivered digitally, and as in so many areas of our lives, the move to an increasingly digital, personalised ‘on demand’ world is fast accelerating and becoming the norm. Because of this, solutions like FNZ Impact have been developed to enable the democratisation of access to knowledge on the environmental and societal impact of investments by integrating personalised sustainability preferences into client platforms at scale, yet with individual client personalisation. FNZ Impact delivers a range of individually tailored sustainability analytics and services to clients and customers, empowering leading financial institutions to participate in the rapid shift to sustainable investing, alongside deepening their engagement with clients. Crucially, with this technology, consumers can be enabled to take back their freedom to choose whether they want to back the drivers of negative or positive change.
What is certain is that these findings are crucial in a world where closing the pensions gap is perhaps more important than ever, and rebuilding our economies tops the agenda. The rise of apps like Giki, which allows consumers to scan the barcodes of thousands of supermarket products to understand the health, environmental and societal impact of products, provides users with the freedom to choose how they allocate their hard-earned, precious income. If we are now to take this opportunity to build back better, shifting consciousness from how we spend our money to how we save our money could be the necessary key to a more sustainable world.
[1] Franklin Templeton: The Power of Emotions
Mon 16 November 2020
The acquisition supports FNZ’s long-term strategy of expanding the accessibility…
Wed 05 August 2020
FNZ, the global platform-as-a-service provider, has completed the acquisition of…
Tue 07 July 2020
The new venture will combine the custody expertise of State Street with the international…
Wed 01 July 2020
ebase have confirmed that they have agreed to acquire the entire securities business…
Thu 21 May 2020
FNZ, the global platform-as-a-service provider, has signed a deal with FinSwitch…
Wed 13 May 2020
More than ever, the relationship between business, the environment and society is…
Wed 22 April 2020
With Covid-19 changing that way that the world works, the reality is that these shifts…
Tue 25 February 2020
Innovation distinguishes a leader from a follower – but how do you innovate successfully…
Mon 10 February 2020
The acquisition reinforces FNZ’s pan-European strategy
Mon 10 February 2020
Temasek’s investment adds a further high profile investor and enhances FNZ's reach…
Thu 06 February 2020
Investment includes new operations centre in Dundee
Thu 21 November 2019
FNZ outline plans to establish successful partnerships with leading Chinese financial…
Sign up to receive regular news and insights from us on both what's happening at FNZ and within the industry.