2° Investing Initiative (2DII) is an independent think tank that conducts research projects supporting financial markets in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. As part of one such project, 2DII recently published the results of a survey of residents in six European countries regarding their preferences for sustainable financial products. Poland was among the countries surveyed, which allows for some interesting conclusions to be drawn.
First of all, interest in sustainable financial solutions is highest in Poland (at the same level as in Sweden) among all the countries surveyed. As many as 65% respondents express such interest. Poland also has the highest percentage of people who believe that the right investments can change the world (57% compared to the European average of 43%) and that the choice of financial products is a way to reflect one's values (54% compared to the average of 41%).
Approximately 60% of Poles would like to finance the energy transition through their investments, but at the same time, 59% do not have products in their portfolios that would serve this purpose. In my opinion, this indicates that financial institutions are not keeping up with the demand for sustainable investments.
Recently, at MATERIALITY, we were selecting an institution with which to conclude an agreement to run an Employee Capital Plan (PPK) for our employees. On the websites of most investment fund companies offering such programs, we found no information about the possibility of investing the accumulated funds in a sustainable manner. We decided to contact two investment fund companies, but the answers we received were not much more detailed than what we had already found on the internet. This shows that even if a company, after consulting with employee representatives, wants to invest their retirement funds in a sustainable manner, the choice is very limited, to say the least.
I hope that the 2DII report (which can be found here [link to the website]) https://2degrees-investing.org/resource/the-6-national-country-report/]) will reach financial institutions operating in Poland. I believe that in the coming months they will draw conclusions from it and work hard to build a solid range of sustainable savings and investment products. If there is demand, what are we waiting for?
Polish
English