SYNOPSIS

Following the election of Trump and the recent World Climate Conference, we face a troubling fact: the vast sums of money needed to save the climate are simply not available. “Is it possible for ordinary people like you and me to effect change?” asks finance podcaster and presenter Janin Ullmann in the 30-minute documentary “Sustainable Finance – Can my money protect the climate?”. The good news: one in two people in the EU wants their money to be invested to have a positive impact beyond mere profit. But how does sustainable investing actually work and do ‘green funds’ have a genuine impact? And what role can our bank accounts and pension provisions play in climate protection? To find answers to these questions, Janin Ullmann (ARD, ProSieben, RTL) travelled through three European countries and interviewed experts and practitioners at all levels. Her journey in the film begins with climate protests outside a bank in Amsterdam. Here, Ullmann learns from Nicky van Dijk why she is suing one of Europe’s biggest banks. “They are feeling the pressure,” says a confident van Dijk, whose organisation has already gained worldwide attention with a climate lawsuit against oil giant Shell. Ullmann then travels to a construction company of a different kind in Calais, where she learns about the direct financing of sustainable companies using dedicated crowdfunding platforms. In Kaiserslautern, she hears how a nursing service is recording its CO₂ emissions and reporting their results to the bank Triodos. This ‘sustainability bank’ has financed the company’s conversion to electromobility and is a pioneer in the use of loans to foster the growth of sustainable companies or projects. Throughout, experts from academia and non governmental organizations appraise the various solutions and illustrate specific steps and concepts.

GÉNÉRIQUE

• Director

  Luca Vogel

• Production

  Saskia Geisler

• Referent

  Sarah Beudt

• Sales

  Laëtitia Kalonji