For us, investing ethically feels like one of the most powerful tools we have

says Kate.

It’s not something a lot of people our age are able to think about.

Kate works in learning and development for the charity sector, while Jo is a psychologist. Both work freelance, and after buying a flat together, the couple started looking at ways they could use their money for good.

In 2021, they began their journey towards sustainable investing – a decision spurred by a peer-learning programme Kate had joined called Money Movers, which helps women make their finances greener.

For us, the catalyst was that I’d taken part in a program called Money Movers,

explains Kate.

It’s a partnership between Friends of the Earth and Huddlecraft, which supports women specifically to move their money for the greater good of the planet. Following that, one of the other people who took part organised a Q & A with David Macdonald, founder of Path Financial.

The couple had looked into ethical investing before but had been disappointed by what they had found.

We were frustrated by how low the bar was for what counted as ‘ethical’,

says Jo.

A lot of funds branded as sustainable might just not actively invest in arms, but that’s about it. We wanted our investments to actively drive positive change, not just avoid harm.

Kate and Jo decided to seek advice from Path Financial, a firm that specialises in ethical and sustainable investments. They now have private pensions, ISAs, and a junior ISA for their baby – all held in funds that aim to make a tangible difference in areas like renewable energy and education.

We had already spoken to a couple of people about financial advice,

says Kate. 

And I think we felt very strongly that it was a great opportunity to kind of try and engage in our finances, but in a sustainable way. It feels quite radical for an organisation to be talking about money through that lens.

Before this, I’d never really thought about money as being a kind of a way into living more sustainably. And I guess now it feels like it makes so much sense.

Outside of their finances, Kate and Jo try to live as sustainably as they can.

The way I think about day-to-day sustainability, I think about the levers we have access to and how impactful they can be,” says Jo. “We compost our waste, but who knows how impactful that is. But then there are other things, like how you invest your money, that feel like a really powerful lever that we do have access to. People don’t often think about money as something that can have this impact. So, if you’re in a position to be thinking about how you invest your money, which lots of people aren’t, it feels like a really powerful choice that you have.

While they feel strongly about sustainable investing, Kate and Jo are aware it’s a privilege to have the choice at all.

I speak a lot about this to my parents, because they have got strong environmental consciences,

says Kate.

But for many of our friends, it’s not an option because they’re not in a financial position to invest or their pensions are managed by employers who resist greener options. It’s frustrating because if you ask most people, ‘Do you want to invest in arms or tobacco?’ they’d say no.

For anyone looking to engage with their finances more consciously, Kate and Jo’s advice is simple: start small.

Kate admits:

I think it’s scary to engage with finances because it feels intimidating. I think I definitely felt some shame around engaging with my finances at the beginning, for example mapping out my outgoings. And I was just like, oh my god, it’s all on Deliveroo.

I think most people, understandably, are thinking about how can I make my money work best for me?

says Kate,

We know we are in a lucky position to be able to save at all. It seems like Path Financial offers an option that will let us grow our money while also helping the planet.

If you can, thinking about any changes you can make to align with your values is a great place to start.