To mark Earth Day last week, we hosted a panel debate to talk about some of the many topics around sustainability that our clients tell us they would like to discuss.
Joining me on the panel were three sustainability superheroes:
I asked the panel what three things they would recommend people do in their daily lives to make the greatest sustainability impact. Their answers were varied and interesting.
Will: Number one is simple. Consume less. Moving house recently has really brought this home to me. The sheer amount of possessions I own is striking. I don’t need it all. At Christmas, Ocean Bottle went out with a message that makes a lot of sense: don’t gift things, gift an experience instead.
Go reusable. By adopting a reusable bottle, you can cut down by around 150 plastic bottles a year – that’s the EU average. You will save money and reduce your carbon footprint by about 80 times from refilling and rejecting transported water.
Be an activist. By using your voice, you can have a huge impact in terms of influencing your friends or colleagues. Vote for politicians who are speaking the language of sustainability and employing the policies to make it happen. Vote with your wallet too and only support those businesses who are sourcing and selling products in a sustainable way.
Sheena: Travel more consciously. Generally, think about the sustainability angle of your trip from start to finish. Be conscious of the credentials of the tourist board, the country, the city, the hotel and take advantage of any local initiatives they engage in. Rather than making a ‘pit stop’ in New York or Paris, try to make your trips longer or ‘twin’ cities and visit more than one location in a trip.
Travel off the beaten track. Visit ‘untapped’ destinations and avoid tourist hotspots. Go to the village next door and make an effort to understand the community and culture, supporting what they are doing locally. From a tourism point of view, that is a big part of sustainability.
Indulge in a spot of ‘bleisure’. There are good reasons why this rather odd word has come to be. If you are travelling for a business meeting, extend it for a week. By combining business and leisure travel you save time, money and reduce your carbon footprint.
Natalie: Make good choices. If you are out and about, make sure you have a refill with you. It’s a simple, good choice you can make easily. If everyone did it, the compound impact would be huge.
Look at the packaging. When buying anything, check out the packaging materials. Are they sustainable? Does the wording tell you where the item was produced or – in the case of water – bottled? How far has it travelled to get to you – has it been shipped in? Use packaging to help inform yourself and make sustainable consumer choices.
Take stock. Look at what you have bought in a given year and actively reflect on whether you really need it. Use this information to change your habits. By taking stock of the amount you have bought and analysing your habits, you will be better prepared to make sustainable choices going forward. It is a great exercise.
Photo by Tony Hand on Unsplash
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All investments risk the loss of capital. The value of investments may go down as well as up and, for products designed to return income, the distributions can also go down or up and you may not receive back the full value of your initial investment. No guarantee or representation is made that the funds will achieve their investment objective. The material on this site does not constitute legal, tax, or advice on investments. If you are unsure about whether a fund meets your requirements, then you should seek professional financial advice before investing.
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1. According to Art. 10 Para. 3 of the Swiss Federal Collective Investment Schemes Act (CISA), Qualified investors are considered:
a. Regulated financial intermediaries such as banks, securities dealers, fund management companies as well as asset managers of collective investment schemes,
b. Regulated insurance companies,
c. Public entities and insurance companies with professional treasury departments,
d. Companies with professional treasury departments;
e. High net worth individuals,
f. Investors who have entered into a written asset management agreement with a supervised financial intermediary (such as banks, securities dealers, fund management companies as well asset managers of collective capital investments).
2. According to Art. 6 Para. 2 of the Swiss Federal Collective Investment Schemes Ordinance (CISO), in particular Art. 10 Para. 4 CISA, qualified investors are also considered:
Independent asset managers and investors who have entered into a written asset management. agreement with independent asset managers to the extent that:
a. The asset manager as a financial intermediary is subject to the Money Laundering Act (MLA) of 10 October 1997 (Art. 2 Para. 3 lit. e MLA);
b. The asset manager is subject to a professional code of conduct which is recognized as a minimum standard by the supervisory authority, and
c. The asset management contract contains the recognized guidelines of a professional organization.
3. A high net worth individual is someone who can confirm in writing that they directly or indirectly have net financial investments of at least 2 million Swiss francs.
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* The advertiser or provider of the collective investment scheme must review the existence of the required financial investments if there are doubts as to whether the person qualifies as a high-net-worth individual.
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All investments risk the loss of capital. The value of investments may go down as well as up and, for products designed to return income, the distributions can also go down or up and you may not receive back the full value of your initial investment. No guarantee or representation is made that the funds will achieve their investment objective. The material on this site does not constitute legal, tax, or advice on investments. If you are unsure about whether a fund meets your requirements, then you should seek professional financial advice before investing.
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All investments risk the loss of capital. The value of investments may go down as well as up and, for products designed to return income, the distributions can also go down or up and you may not receive back the full value of your initial investment. No guarantee or representation is made that the funds will achieve their investment objective. The material on this site does not constitute legal, tax, or advice on investments. If you are unsure about whether a fund meets your requirements, then you should seek professional financial advice before investing. This information is not directed at any US person or any person in the US and the information does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell shares or units in any Stonehage Fleming fund to any US person or to any person in the US.
The following pages contain information on collective investment schemes (both local and foreign) that have been approved by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) for distribution in South Africa, in accordance with the Collective Investment Schemes Control Act, No 45 of 2002 (“CISCA”). The information and materials have been prepared for information purposes only and do not constitute a personal recommendation or advice or a solicitation to buy any product or service. They do not take into account the financial circumstances, needs or objectives of the recipient. In addition to the information provided, you may wish to consult an independent professional adviser.
All investments risk the loss of capital. The value of investments may go down as well as up and, for products designed to return income, the distributions can also go down or up and you may not receive back the full value of your initial investment. No guarantee or representation is made that the funds will achieve their investment objective. The material on this site does not constitute legal, tax, or advice on investments. If you are unsure about whether a fund meets your requirements, then you should seek professional financial advice before investing.
I confirm I am accessing the website from the country indicated.
All investments risk the loss of capital. The value of investments may go down as well as up and, for products designed to return income, the distributions can also go down or up and you may not receive back the full value of your initial investment. No guarantee or representation is made that the funds will achieve their investment objective. The material on this site does not constitute legal, tax, or advice on investments. If you are unsure about whether a fund meets your requirements, then you should seek professional financial advice before investing. This information is not directed at any US person or any person in the US and the information does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell shares or units in any Stonehage Fleming fund to any US person or to any person in the US.
The following pages contain information on collective investment schemes (both local and foreign) that have been approved by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) for distribution in South Africa, in accordance with the Collective Investment Schemes Control Act, No 45 of 2002 (“CISCA”). The information and materials have been prepared for information purposes only and do not constitute a personal recommendation or advice or a solicitation to buy any product or service. They do not take into account the financial circumstances, needs or objectives of the recipient. In addition to the information provided, you may wish to consult an independent professional adviser.
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