“If we invest sensibly and sustainably as individuals, our planet has a realistic chance of continuing to exist. Money is the key to saving the environment – but only if it is used correctly and in a targeted manner.” This statement can be found on the website of Hamburg-based financial consultancy fairvendo. The company has been certified to our CSE sustainability standard since last year. Managing Director Gorden Isler was available for an interview and talks about his company, social commitment and the CSE seal of approval.
What was your path to CSE certification?
Before we became involved with the CSE standard, four of our employees were certified as ESG* advisors as part of a further training program. Even at this stage, it was important for us to work with independent bodies. We didn’t want to simply claim to specialize in ecological investments and ethics. Some time ago, I got to know Niels Christiansen from sustaineration. He told us about the CSE. I researched it and found the costs and effort involved manageable, so we decided to get certified. One of the decisive factors for us was that the standard is formulated strictly and specifically. I simply want a third party who knows something about it to check and underline our claim. I also want to dispel any suspicion of greenwashing.
Do you get reactions to the CSE seal?
We are not actively approached about the seal. But when we mention that we are certified to the CSE standard, some customers show a keen interest and want to find out more about the standard. I also notice that some customers then look into the standard, e.g. go to the website to find out what kind of certification it is. In particular, people who are familiar with sustainability both privately and professionally feel that the seal confirms their choice. What I can say is that over the last twelve months, more and more people have been contacting us for whom the issue of sustainability is very important. They are not looking for a traditional insurance broker, but for a company that attaches great importance to sustainability. It is also much more interesting for us to work with people who resonate with this topic. They understand that it is not enough to shop at the organic food store, but that the issues of capital and sustainability are very closely linked and run through all areas of life.
The topic of sustainable finance has also recently gained momentum – has this also reached you?
Yes, but the whole market is only just beginning. We are seeing a change taking place, but you have to bear in mind that the initial situation on the market is catastrophic. The ratio of total assets of sustainable and non-sustainable banks is less than one percent. The ratio of capital investments also does not yet cover a significant proportion. Growth rates of 100 % per year would still be negligible in the overall context. But we are at the beginning of a major transformation. People are realizing: Sustainability also has something to do with my current account and my insurance.
Saving paper was one of your sustainability goals, which you have also measurably achieved. What are your other sustainability goals?
CSE and ESG certification were so easy for us because we had already made great efforts to record and optimize many sustainability issues. For example, the choice of our suppliers, the appropriateness of combustion engines in our vehicle fleet, etc. Thanks to the certifications, ideas and assumptions have given way to conscious decisions and certainties. We want to reduce and offset all CO2 emissions in the future. By this we mean not only the kilometers driven by our employees on business, but also the kilometers driven privately. We have decided that we want to offset all emissions from car use – whether private or business. Otherwise, we have reduced the size of our vehicle fleet and we now use hybrid cars or small city runabouts as company cars. We are now spending less money on our vehicle fleet. We also subsidize the Bahncard and form car pools.
What else has changed for you recently?
Recently, insurers have been approaching us when they have a new sustainable idea. We deduce from this that word has gotten around in the industry that we are so consistent. I don’t know of any other financial broker who is certified. It is probably very rare to find a neutral certification of the advisors and the company.
What else interests us, what was your personal career like?
I trained as a businessman and it was always clear to me that I wanted to have my own honest and fair company. I have always been more socially minded than ecologically minded. In my mid-twenties, I founded fairvendo and joined the Green Party. At some point, a friend from the party approached me. He said that I needed to develop the ecological side – in addition to my social streak – and understand the overall context even better. As a result, I decided to do the ESG course. I understood that ecological awareness and finance go hand in hand and that both aspects are equally important. I am still very socially committed today. I am chairman of the Regensburg sea rescue organization Sea-Eye. And here, too, I am aware that it is not enough just to rescue people from the seas. We actually have to change their living conditions. And this is where climate change plays an essential role – the issue must concern us all! That’s why I’m delighted to be able to offer our customers products that promote the preservation of our livelihoods – both socially and ecologically. And in the meantime, you can make better profits with these models, precisely because they stand FOR the future.
