The Blog
Green Drinks Recap: How Green Finance Can Be One of the Most Powerful Climate Actions We Take
January 14, 2026
On Tuesday, January 13th, community members gathered at Park City Gardens for a Green Drinks conversation focused on green finance—and why the financial system may be one of the most important (and overlooked) levers we have to address climate change.
If you weren’t able to join us, here’s a recap of what we explored, why it matters, and how you can take action.
Climate Change Is a Finance Problem
We often talk about climate change as a science problem, a technology problem, or an individual behavior problem. But at its core, climate change is also a finance problem.
Money is the invisible engine shaping our world—from the energy we use, to the homes we live in, to the transportation systems we rely on. Every day, billions of dollars move through the financial system, determining what gets built, which industries grow, and which communities thrive.
Banks don’t just store money. They deploy it.
Customer deposits are used to fund loans for infrastructure, companies, and development projects. When banks choose to finance fossil fuel extraction, pipelines, and expansion, they lock in decades of future emissions. When they finance clean energy, efficiency, and resilient communities, they help accelerate climate solutions.
Your Bank and Investments Are Part of Your Carbon Footprint
One of the biggest takeaways from the evening surprised many attendees:
Your choice of bank and investment portfolio may be the single largest part of your personal climate footprint.
We often focus on actions like recycling, thrifting, or switching to LED bulbs—and those things absolutely matter. But when researchers crunched the numbers, financial decisions rose to the very top of the list.
Here’s why:
- The world’s largest banks have financed trillions of dollars in fossil fuel companies in recent years.
- Keeping money in a major conventional bank can have a carbon impact comparable to air travel.
- Moving money to climate-aligned financial institutions can reduce the emissions associated with your finances by more than 70%—without changing your daily lifestyle.
In other words, where your money sleeps at night matters.
What We Learned About High-Impact Climate Actions
At Green Drinks, we reviewed research that ranks individual climate actions by their potential emissions reductions. While everyday sustainability habits are still important, the data shows that financial choices often outperform lifestyle swaps.
Some of the most impactful actions discussed included:
- Moving your money out of large fossil-fuel-financing banks
- Shifting investments or retirement accounts toward climate-friendly funds
The encouraging news?
Several of the highest-impact actions don’t require major lifestyle changes—just a shift in how and where your money is invested.
Green Banks and the Role of Financial Institutions
A key part of the conversation focused on Green Banks and other mission-driven financial institutions.
Green Banks are specialized institutions designed to:
- De-risk and accelerate clean energy projects
- Support energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable infrastructure
- Channel private capital toward climate solutions, especially at the local level
Rather than financing fossil fuel expansion, these institutions help unlock capital for the sustainable future we need—often in ways that also improve affordability, resilience, and equity.
Insights from Our Speakers
Bethany Kanten
Bethany brought a global and local perspective to the conversation, drawing on her experience designing clean energy finance solutions and inclusive capital strategies. She highlighted how thoughtful financial design can expand access to clean energy, lower costs for households, and ensure climate solutions reach underserved communities—not just those with the most capital.
Michael A. Ruzek
Michael shared how individuals and families participate in the financial system every day through banking, investing, and retirement planning. He emphasized that aligning financial goals with values doesn’t mean sacrificing performance—and that asking better questions about where money is invested is a critical first step toward meaningful climate impact.
Resources Shared at Green Drinks
If you’re interested in taking the next step, here are a few resources we discussed:
- Find climate-friendly banks and credit unions:
https://getabetterbank.org/banks/ - Reports and tools on sustainable investing, fossil-free portfolios, and climate impact measurement
These resources can help you better understand where your money is going—and how to align it with the future you want to see.
Moving Forward
Climate change can feel overwhelming, but the message from Green Drinks was ultimately a hopeful one:
- Shifting financial flows is powerful.
- Individual choices add up—especially when we act together.
- You don’t have to do everything to do something meaningful.
Whether you start by learning where your bank invests, asking questions about your retirement account, or exploring climate-aligned financial institutions, every step helps move capital toward solutions instead of harm.
