13 Jul 2021

With everything that’s been going on, I think it’s pretty clear that saving the world is going to be left to the younger generation. Boomers and Gen X are too busy worrying about negative gearing and writing unhinged facebook comments on news articles to actually step up to the plate. Meanwhile, we’re out here rocking up to climate rallies, rejecting fast fashion and making big plans for what we’re going to do once it’s our turn at the wheel.

Doing stuff like picking up groceries in your tote instead of a plastic bag and having your metal straw collection on deck is legit a great way to help reduce your waste and environmental impact using your dollars, but what about the dollars you’ve got tucked away in your super?

For most of us, super’s pretty much a set-and-forget-it type deal. You sign some forms when you get your first job, you get a statement every few months saying that the money that you can’t even access now has gone up a bit. Big whoop, right? Okay, but hear me out. 

Basically, the reason the value of your super is going up or down is because it’s being invested. They give your money to different companies through investment products like stocks, bonds or ETFs. Those companies can then use that money to grow and increase the value of their business, and then when you’re ready to cash out, they sell it off, and you get more money than what you put in.

The super fund is pretty much focussed on keeping you happy by putting money into the stuff that they think will give you good returns (but without too much risk). The thing is, some companies that are super profitable and can grow your accounts, might be involved in some pretty shady stuff. Think of stuff like tobacco companies, fossil fuels or weapons manufacturers. While you’re out there busting your butt trying to get your compost bin working, part of your wage could be getting given to these companies to keep doing what they’re doing!

There might even be industries and sectors that you’d like to see grow like alternative energy sources, or even having your fund pressure companies to reduce their carbon footprint. The great thing as well is that just because you’re excluding certain industries doesn’t mean you’re not going to have your savings grow. There’s loads of opportunities for green-oriented companies to make money and help the environment at the same time, and if you’re invested, you get a piece of that success.

That’s why you should take a look at your super fund and see if they’ve got an ethical option for their investment strategies. It’ll usually be on their site, or in your online account (if you’ve got a couple accounts going, we’ve got a whole guide on fixing that up for ya). If they don’t have one, you might want to have a look around and see who does. It’s your money after all!

Starting to think a little more about your super is awesome, but it’s tough to know where to start. They don’t exactly teach you this stuff in school. That’s why we’ve made the Year13 Academy, where you can get the rundown on stuff like managing your money, career paths, and super as well. Take a look here!