You have every reason to be skeptical about what your bank does with your money. After all, big banks such as Wells Fargo poured $1.9 trillion into fossil-fuel companies in the three years that followed the signing of the Paris Agreement. With that said, not all banks have been so irresponsible.
Take Aspiration, for example, an online bank founded in 2015 that offers “fossil fuel-free” deposits. It’s one of several ways that the bank, which has positioned itself as the anti-Wells Fargo, is reimagining more responsible banking. The company’s differences start with an option for customers to set their own fees on bank or investment accounts (or choose to pay the bank nothing at all).
Aspiration’s debit card also offers extra cash-back rewards for purchases made at businesses that it gives a higher social-impact score, and account holders also get their own impact measurement score that tracks how their spending is affecting people and the planet. Purchases at businesses in a smaller “conscience coalition”, including Warby Parker and Toms, earn even higher rewards.
This explains why the bank has added more than 1.5 million customers since it started, some of whom are drawn by the fact that the company is selective in how it invests customer deposits, shying away from fossil fuels and putting deposits into a list of companies vetted for sustainable practices. If there’s anything to take away from this story, it’s the reminder that where you put your money plays a role in the world’s climate affairs.
