John Ellis

How your cash can help with climate change

BY JOHN ELLIS

FINANCIAL ADVISOR

ABOUT half of people in Ireland have engaged in consumer actions to reduce climate change in the last year. Most favour spending carbon tax revenues on programmes to reduce carbon emissions and prepare for climate change impacts, according to the latest report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Some of the key ndings include: • 76% say they know at least a moderate amount about climate change • 96% of people agree that climate change is happening • 60% say the change is caused by human activity • and 33% saying the cause is equally human and natural changes. • 85% are worried about climate change and believe we are harming the planet for future generations.

Regarding the weather, 88% think climate change is the problem and believe that in the next 10 years a high percentage of people in Ireland will become increasingly exposed to the result of climate change that we currently see happening elsewhere like rising sea levels, water shortages, ooding and a rise in agricultural pests and diseases.

However, Irish people are positive about the economic and quality of life bene ts that can be achieved through climate change action, where 62% think such action will improve economic growth and create jobs, and 78% that acting now will improve Ireland’s quality of life into the future.

People are willing to take political action to reduce climate change with about half indicating they have changed the way they now shop and intend to increase their ‘consumer activism’ in the next year.

Nine in 10 believe that politicians, the Government, and businesses should be doing a whole lot more while 78% say they should be doing more. With many not sure how to proceed, how about using your money?

Insurance Companies have implemented Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) procedures, including comprehensive data and technology solutions that allow their portfolio managers to see and interrogate ESG metrics into investment processes.

According to Aviva this allows them to review where they invest their shareholders’ and your money, thereby giving us, the clients, access to a range of investments that they believe “o er the best potential of generating strong returns over the long-term while supporting signi cant progress towards a fairer and more sustainable world”.

Zurich states in their brochures that they are committed to Responsible Investment and is a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment which is all about “doing well and doing good”.

Irish Life on their website want you to know that “they will do right by your money”.

Why are insurance companies moving in this direction? According to New Ireland, it’s due to “a major shift in emphasis with investors towards accomplishing the goal of a better nancial future, while at the same time, helping the world to be a better place”.

But, also, it’s due to the EU driving change on ESG. ey have identi ed 64 adverse impact indicators, of which 18 will be mandatory to report on and 46 will be voluntary. e 18 indicators consider standard ESG factors including greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, water, waste, violation of global standards, unadjusted gender pay gap, board gender diversity and xxposure to controversial weapons.

Insurance and investment companies must give an undertaking that they will start considering these 18 principles by a certain date, and endeavour to develop systems that will implement ways to integrate the other adverse impact indicators.

Insurance company websites have areas now devoted to ESG funds. Let’s do a little research over the Christmas period and consider what we could do with some of the funds in our savings policies and pension plans and make adjustments that will not only increase our wealth but bring good cheer to all people everywhere.

john@ellis nancial.ie

Hypnosis in the real world

ANDREW MCDONALD HYPNOTHERAPIST

AMONG the therapies which have been around a long time but are suddenly gaining popularity, hypnotherapy is perhaps one of the misunderstood. As soon as you say the word “hypno”, people think of what they have seen on television, or perhaps as part of a stage show. Individuals reduced to a zombie-like state, following the beck and call of the hypnotist. Squawking like chickens, doing funny dances or any other mirthsome activity. And it puts many off.

Long-term readers of this column will know I’m a hypnotherapist. You may also know that I don’t place a lot of credibility in such shows. I’m open to convincing otherwise but I think there’s more of the staged about such performances than any actual control. Why do I say this? Well, to put it bluntly, despite training and experience working as a hypnotherapist, I absolutely cannot control your or anybody else’s mind. Nor would I want to. And I don’t believe anybody else can either, at least not through hypnosis. Simply put, the hypnotic state is not a great deal different to deep meditation or your mind just before you fall asleep. If in either of those situations I asked you to howl like a vixen, your response might involve a pair of words, one of which sounds like fox.

All hypnotherapy is in a nutshell is getting you into a deeply relaxed state so your suggestions can be communicated to your subconscious mind. That’s where the magic happens. This part of your brain is at least 30,000 times stronger than the conscious area and it’s the zone which controls habits.

You will have noted that I said “your suggestions”. Yours. Not mine. That bit is crucial to the whole process. If I, or any other hypnotherapist, tried to implant their ideas, your brain would reject them. It simply wouldn’t work. So, for example, if I used hypnosis on a committed smoker with no intention of quitting and suggested they gave up the cigarettes, there is next to zero chance of it working. The will simply wouldn’t be there. Hypnotherapy transforms a conscious desire into a subconscious habit but it can only do that if the person themselves wants to change. Incidentally, for people who actually do want to stop smoking, hypnotherapy is proven to be one of the quickest and most effective ways of doing just that and of making the change permanent.

Like any therapy, hypnotherapy works better on some people than others. That’s why any hypnotherapist who takes their practice seriously, offers you a free consultation prior to agreeing to treat you. During a brief chat, the therapist will get to know you, and you them, and be able to make a decision on your suitability. If hypnotherapy isn’t a good fit to you, a good therapist will explain this and why.

Next week, I’ll look at some of the benefits attached to hypnotherapy.