Program

The Sustainability Initiative of Paderborn University held a “Coffee Talk” on Thursday 1. December, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., on the topic: “Money makes the world go green? – What do investments have to do with sustainability?”. At the same time, Dr. Helge Wulsdorf, Head of “Sustainable Investments” at the Bank für Kirche and Caritas eG, spoke about how investments today are connected with ethical, social and environmental standards. All interested parties were invited to ask questions and join the discussion.

Sustainable investments are becoming increasingly important, explained Anja Westermann from the Sustainability Initiative at Paderborn University. Since the summer of this year, bank customers must be asked in every consultation whether they want sustainability in their investments or not. “If we are concerned with sustainable consumption and our personal contribution to sustainable development, then financial investments are inevitably a part of it. However, this awareness has yet to reach many people’s minds,” says the environmental historian.

But what can sustainable investments really achieve in terms of sustainable development? How can customers distinguish “light green” from “dark green” financial products? And how sustainable is the financial industry anyway? Dr. Helge Wulsdorf explored these and other questions together with the “Coffee Talk” participants. Together, they discussed what sustainability means in the financial sector, how sustainable investment works and what role various stakeholders such as financial regulators play.