How to divest your savings
Follow these steps and you as an individual can make a change!
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1. Investigate
Find out what your bank invests your money towards. A good start is Fair Finance Guide or emailing your bank!
Find out whether your bank provides sustainable alternatives or allows for personalized investment portfolios.
2. Contact your bank
Let your bank know that you are unhappy with where your savings are being invested and that you wish the bank to make internal changes.
Tell your bank that you will leave as a client if they do NOT commit to divesting client money (your money) from unsustainable and unethical projects.
You can use these email templates: EN / SE - Modify it to suit your message!
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3. Make an informed decision and if necessary, change your bank
Find a bank that suits your needs and aligns with your social, environmental, and economic values.
Look for bank missions/visions that encompass values like cooperation, sustainability, transparency, human rights, democracy, circular economy, etc.
Search for banks that are not only divesting from unsustainable and unethical projects, but also directly investing in sustainable ones!
Consider member-run banks, such as cooperative banks or Credit Unions, as you have a greater influence in terms of which projects are being supported.
4. Let your previous bank know you changed banks and why you did it
It is really important that your bank is aware of these two points because otherwise they may presume you have left for other reasons, such as poor service.
You can use these email templates: EN / SE - Modify it to suit your message!
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5. Tell your new bank why you are choosing them
This can influence and motivate your new bank to be more out-spoken about their corporate social and environmental responsibility.
6. Spread the word, be a leader in this cause!
Inform your family, friends, co-workers, etc. about unsustainable investments.
Tell them why and how you switched banks.
Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) can be a helpful tool.
*We are not trying to single out specific banks, nor tell you which to choose.
*This website was created for the Swedish context, thus, some information on this website will apply to Sweden, but can always be translated to another location.