The Art of Green Finance

Yes, really! Ok, ok, First Direct is one of the worst banks for funding climate wrecking oil and gas companies…but this move is actully a nice piece of climate activism…

Here’s how it works. First Direct is currently paying £175 to those who switch their current account to them. Professional swichers use a dummy account to claim free money. Andy from Be Clever with your Cash explains how to do this here. Once you have the £175, switch to a sustainable bank, send First Direct a letter informing them that you are moving accounts due to ongoing fossil fuel investment, then, and here’s the kicker, donate the free £175 to an organisation campaigning to stop banks funding fossil fuel projects such as reclaim finance (French NGO) or extinction rebellion. The great thing about this is that you use the banks own dirty money to work against themselves.

Other “dirty” banks that sometimes offer similar deals include HSBC. Andy from Be Clever with your Cash (see above) regular updates listeners to his podcast on these deals.

Nb. Only do this if you have a good credit score and are not looking to remortgage in the near future as switching banks multiple times can affect your credit score.