Changing the world with finance

Financial services can have a big impact on the world, whether that’s environmentally, socially, technologically. If you have interests in any of these areas, a career in finance can be a great sector for you to work in.

The environment & financial services

You may not initially think of a career in finance if you have a strong interest in preserving the environment, however it is a sector that can make a huge impact on the environment.

Financial services is an important sector for cutting carbon emissions, attracting investment focused on carbon neutral, or even carbon negative activity and technology. There are many direct and indirect impacts financial services can have on the environment which you can read here. Combating climate change has become a popular topic in finance as there is now a range of qualifications and learning resources for the topic,you can view our range here to familiarise yourself with the ways the environment is interlinked with financial services.

Society & financial services

A term you may have heard recently is ‘social responsibility’ which relates to an ethical theory that individuals and companies can work together for the benefit of the community. Social responsibility and initiatives that have a positive social impact are regular focuses in financial services, investment portfolios even come with a social responsibility score now.

Positive social impact from a career in finance can feature in areas such as education and healthcare. It often comes up in impact investing, where impact investors look for projects that achieve positive and/or constructive social outcomes.

Read these articles, connecting finance to the wider world

In the news: COP27 in Egypt
World leaders to gather to press home climate agenda.The United Nations Climate Change Conference, Conference of the Parties (COP) has taken place every year since 1995. The COP27 summit in Egypt runs 7–18 November.
Fighting for change
Farmida Bi CBE, global chair at Norton Rose Fulbright, discusses the importance of diversity in the boardroom, as well as some of her biggest achievements to date, with Sonia Sharma
Encouraging greater diversity and inclusion in financial services
Sarah Pritchard, executive director of markets at the Financial Conduct Authority, talks about why diversity and inclusion are regulatory issues and the work the FCA is leading to promote greater transparency and increase the pace of change.
Sustainable Development Goals in responsible finance
The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals provide a common language that investors can readily understand. Alastair O’Dell reports.
In the news: COP27 in Egypt
World leaders to gather to press home climate agenda.The United Nations Climate Change Conference, Conference of the Parties (COP) has taken place every year since 1995. The COP27 summit in Egypt runs 7–18 November.
Fighting for change
Farmida Bi CBE, global chair at Norton Rose Fulbright, discusses the importance of diversity in the boardroom, as well as some of her biggest achievements to date, with Sonia Sharma
Encouraging greater diversity and inclusion in financial services
Sarah Pritchard, executive director of markets at the Financial Conduct Authority, talks about why diversity and inclusion are regulatory issues and the work the FCA is leading to promote greater transparency and increase the pace of change.
Sustainable Development Goals in responsible finance
The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals provide a common language that investors can readily understand. Alastair O’Dell reports.