PRESS RELEASE: Millennials put their money where their mouth is on climate
In the lead-up to this Friday’s Climate Strike, millennial superannuation fund Zuper has released data showing younger Australians are putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to backing a green and innovative economy.
The tobacco and nuclear-weapon free fund, which launched late last year, allows Australians to add green, health and technology investments to their super fund, using Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) from BlackRock. These low-cost investment products put money in global companies the wealth manager believes are set to benefit from large global megatrends that are reshaping economies. One of these is climate change.
‘We built Zuper because younger Australians told us they wanted a real say in where their money was invested, and for their investing choices to match their values. Unlike other funds, that keep members in the dark about where their money goes, we put the control and power back into investors hands, in a simple to use online platform.
“In what is a true sign of the times, roughly half of all Zuper members choose to remove carbon-intensive fossil fuels from their super when joining. Over two thirds of our members also go the extra mile, adding at least one of our health, green or tech options to their super,” said CEO Jess Ellerm. “Green is our second most popular choice after tech.”
66% of Zuper members are under 35, a group that has been increasingly frustrated by the lack of action on climate change and investment in renewable energy. Zuper’s Green fund is one way they can take action, and potentially generate a long-term financial return.
The fund invests in global clean energy and water companies,with the underlying ETFs both returning between 21% and 34% this year.*
“As a result of climate change, growth trends like renewable energy and water are simply not going away. It’s a similar story in tech and health. Younger Australians should have the opportunity to benefit from those trends if they believe in them, and having a Zuper super fund is a really accessible way for them to get involved now and start that wealth creation journey,” commented Ellerm.
“You don’t necessarily have to leave work on Friday to show you believe in climate change – you can strike with your money by switching your super to be climate friendly. As our data shows, you’ll possibly increase your long term wealth in the process too,” she said.
About Zuper:
Zuper is a superannuation fund dedicated to arming Australians with the tools and knowledge needed to take control of their super and build long-term wealth.
For further information, contact [email protected]
*https://www.ishares.com/us/products/239738/ishares-global-clean-energy-etf
https://www.blackrock.com/ch/individual/en/products/251913/ishares-global-water-ucits-etf
