Investment Matters Newsletter: Goodstock Event Highlights

As the global conversation around sustainability intensifies, the role of financial advisers in supporting climate-positive initiatives becomes more crucial than ever. This month, our team had the opportunity to attend Goodstock, a pioneering event focused on sustainability and positive social impact. It brought together passionate individuals and thought leaders working to combat climate change, including those of us in the financial planning industry. In this edition of Investment Matters, Paul Kenworthy will be sharing insights from the event and exploring how Financial Planners can help bridge the gap between wealth and impactful climate solutions.

The first-ever Goodstock event was held on the 19th of September at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh. Amy North and I were able to attend, and all I can say is that it was a brilliant event, full of people passionate about sustainability and making a positive difference in the world.

Firstly, I’d like to applaud NextGen Planners s for organising the event, and I look forward to attending more of their events in the future.

There were a number of great speakers and participants at the event, each with different ideas and philosophies but sharing one collective goal—combating climate change.

In this post, I’d like to highlight some points raised by Jack Chellman (Chief Project Officer at the Global Returns Project ). He spoke about Green Philanthropy and explained the untapped potential for Financial Planners to work with high-net-worth clients who want to gift some of their wealth to help tackle the climate crisis.

One of the key issues raised in Jack’s speech is that many of these people don’t know where to turn when they want to make such gifts, and a number of Financial Planners are unable to assist their clients with these needs.

This is where the Global Returns Project comes in. They are creating systemic change to fund the highest-impact climate charities at unprecedented speed and scale. Their mission is to make high-impact climate philanthropy normal and easy in financial planning, investment management, and corporate social responsibility.

Clients are increasingly concerned about climate change and biodiversity loss. While sustainable investing is important, its overall impact is limited. Many critical climate solutions do not deliver financial returns.

Meanwhile, philanthropy offers fast and tangible climate impact, yet less than 2% of global philanthropy goes toward climate mitigation.

The Global Returns Project currently works with over 20 different client-facing Financial Planners, and this number will hopefully continue to grow. They can hold direct conversations with clients about the charities they support, or they’re happy for Financial Planners to facilitate these discussions.

Using a proprietary methodology, they have identified a portfolio of six different climate charities that clients can donate to. These charities are: Global Canopy, Rainforest Trust, ClientEarth, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Blue Marine Foundation, and Trillion Trees.

These charities are reviewed regularly (at least every six months), and they will be replaced if they no longer meet the stringent criteria.

Donors can choose to support all of these charities or select a particular one if they prefer. 100% of the proceeds are passed on directly to the charities without any deductions. After making a donation, clients will receive impact reports from the charities every six months.

For large donations, the charities may provide specific literature detailing how those funds have been used and the positive impact they have achieved.

The Global Returns Project is doing valuable work in helping to mitigate the climate crisis, and we feel they can help bridge the gap between Financial Planners and clients who want to donate money for the good of the planet.

They allow you to have in-depth discussions with your clients about how they can make a positive difference, helping to demonstrate the value Financial Planners can provide.

At We Complement , we believe in aligning financial goals with positive global impact. As financial planners, it’s time we expand our role beyond just managing investments and start offering solutions that truly make a difference.

If you’re interested in exploring how Green Philanthropy can complement your financial services, get in touch with us today. Together, we can help your clients achieve their financial goals while contributing to a sustainable future.