Money for Change (EN)

Triodos Bank

In this podcast, experts from Triodos Bank update you on sustainability transitions. Each week the host discusses a question with chief economist Hans Stegeman and an expert. Our goal is to give you new insights on what it takes to create a just and sustainable world.

  1. What can we do in 2026 to phase out fossil fuels?

    12/10/2025

    What can we do in 2026 to phase out fossil fuels?

    How can we create a fair and sustainable world? The Money for Change podcast explores how money shapes our economy and global progress. We do this together with systems thinker and chief economist at Triodos Bank Hans Stegeman. COP30 is just behind us and the outcomes of the 30th conference on climate change are to put it mildly, very mixed. Slow progress has been made, but in the end no major breakthroughs: no global agreements on deforestation and the phasing out of fossil fuels have been made, illustrating the slow advancement of effectively combating climate change. On top of that, the United States had no formal delegation present, while fossil-fuel lobbyists outnumbered the representatives of any single country. Does this mean it is all doom and gloom? We don’t think so. Together with Sven Renon, Impact manager at Triodos Bank, we speak what the near future could hold for us. We discuss the proposal of some countries to create a pathway for phasing out fossil fuels. In 2026, Colombia will host, in collaboration with the Netherlands, a separate conference next year dedicated to shape this pathway. What potential does a ‘coalition of the willing’ have to accelerate the energy transition? We also reflect on the role of other agents; what can we as Triodos Bank, other financial institutions and you as a listener do to enhance the most important transition of our time? Find out in this episode of Money for Change! If you have any comments or questions about this episode, feel free to contact us using the form on our webpage: https://www.triodos.com/en/podcasts/money-for-change Enjoy listening and don’t forget to rate & follow us!

    32 min
  2. Sustainability vs. Software: The Battle Over Device Lifespans

    10/29/2025

    Sustainability vs. Software: The Battle Over Device Lifespans

    How can we create a fair and sustainable world? The Money for Change podcast explores how money shapes our economy and global progress. We do this together with systems thinker and chief economist at Triodos Bank Hans Stegeman. On October 14th, Microsoft announced that it will end the free support for Windows 10. Yet, around 400 million computers still run on this operating system, and roughly half of them cannot be updated to Windows 11 due to outdated hardware. This is a clear example of the phenomenon planned obsolescence; a business strategy where products are intentionally designed with a limited lifespan, forcing consumers to buy replacements or upgrades. Ironically, this obvious case of planned obsolescence coincided with International E-Waste Day, an annual event dedicated to raising awareness about the growing problem of electronic waste. In this episode of Money for Change we reflect with Matija Kajic, sustainability researcher at Triodos Bank, on the broader negative impact planned obsolescence has on our society and the deeper issue it reveals in our economic system; the addiction to limitless growth. We also explore what can be done to address this challenge, for example by advocating for legislation through initiatives like the Right to Repair and the push for corporate transparency to report about the lifespans of their products. Furthermore, we take a critical perspective by examining the difficulties of building a strong business case based on circularity and repairability If you have any comments or questions about this episode, feel free to contact us using the form on our webpage: https://www.triodos.com/en/podcasts/money-for-change Enjoy listening and don’t forget to rate & follow us!

    32 min
  3. 07/10/2025

    Who is funding the future of the Central Arctic Ocean, and can money help protect it?

    Welcome to Money for Change, the podcast made by Triodos Bank! In this podcast, we will share insights and challenges related to our core question: how can we accelerate the change to a more balanced and just world? Each episode, we will dive into a specific topic that is relevant for answering this question. Hans Stegeman, Triodos Bank’s Chief Economist, is a recurring guest in the show. In today’s episode, we’ll talk about the current state of the Arctic, a region which is known for its vital function within the Earth’s ecosystem, its unique wildlife and is inhabited by various indigenous communities. However, economic exploitation has put the Arctic under pressure, in particular by rare earth mining and trade routes that cut directly through ice-covered waters. These activities create severe environmental risks, which makes it necessary to take measures that safeguard the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding ice caps. One such initiative is the Arctic Oceans Pledge, a voluntary commitment by companies to avoid using the sea-ice passageways in their global supply chains. Joining us is Alex Shahbazi, Senior Manager Artic Programs at Ocean Conservancy, to discuss the role of money in the protection of the Central Arctic Ocean. As in our previous English episode, we critically examine the impact of voluntary corporate pledges. How effective are they in realizing a transition to a sustainable economy? And how well are the voices and interests of Indigenous Arctic communities meaningfully represented? If you have any comments or questions about this episode, feel free to contact us using the form on our webpage: https://www.triodos.com/en/podcasts/money-for-change Enjoy listening and don’t forget to rate & follow us! Host: Emma de Leeuw Fixed guest: Hans Stegeman Guest: Alex Shahbazi

    32 min
  4. Will banks only go green when governments force their hand?

    06/11/2025

    Will banks only go green when governments force their hand?

    Welcome to Money for Change, the podcast made by Triodos Bank! In this podcast, we will share insights and challenges related to our core question: how can we accelerate the change to a more balanced and just world? Each episode, we will dive into a specific topic that is relevant for answering this question. Hans Stegeman, Triodos Bank’s Chief Economist, is a recurring guest in the show. Within the financial sector, various mechanisms can be used to help accelerate the transition to a sustainable future. These vary from mandatory regulations to voluntary pledges. However, geopolitical influences are weakening these initiatives to move the financial sector towards sustainable activities. This raises the question: Without mandatory governmental actions will the financial sector take meaningful voluntary action? We discuss these important questions with Bevis Watts, former CEO of Triodos Bank UK, to figure out what should be done to fundamentally change the financial sector. Emma and Hans also brought some interesting news items to the table. This time covering the extreme climate related events in Switzerland and India, structural underestimation of the world population and its implications and Texas’ removal of Blackrock from their investment blacklist. If you have any comments or questions about this episode, feel free to contact us using the form on our webpage: https://www.triodos.com/en/podcasts/money-for-change Enjoy listening and don’t forget to rate & follow us! Host: Emma de Leeuw Fixed guest: Hans Stegeman Guest: Bevis Watts

    31 min
  5. Can financing nature help protect the wild places on earth, or are we chasing a fantasy by commodifying it?

    05/21/2025

    Can financing nature help protect the wild places on earth, or are we chasing a fantasy by commodifying it?

    Welcome to Money for Change, the podcast made by Triodos Bank! In this podcast, we will share insights and challenges related to our core question: how can we accelerate the change to a more balanced and just world? Each episode, we will dive into a specific topic that is relevant for answering this question. Hans Stegeman, Triodos Bank’s Chief Economist, is a recurring guest in the show. As we near the end of May, many European countries have already had their Earth Overshoot Day. This means that if everyone lived like a person from, for example, the United Kingdom, we would have exhausted all of the Earth's available natural resources for the year. Part of the solution to reducing our consumption of natural resources and push Overshoot Day to later in the year, is financing the restoration and conservation of nature. Nature based solutions are initiatives aimed at restoring, enhancing or protecting ecosystems by changing the intended use of the land. For example, reforestation projects on land which was previously used for agricultural purposes can create positive outcomes for the biodiversity and the storage of carbon. While the environmental benefits are clear, creating viable revenue models for these public goods remains a major challenge. Together with our colleague and Nature-based Solutions expert Simon Scholl, we’ll tackle the complex question; Can financing nature help protect the wild places on earth, or are we chasing a fantasy by commodifying it? We kick off this episode by discussing some worrying news about how our global economy is becoming less circular, the (not so) green investment funds in Europe and the downgraded credit score of the United States. If you have any comments or questions about this episode, feel free to contact us using the form on our webpage: https://www.triodos.com/en/podcasts/money-for-change Enjoy listening and don’t forget to rate & follow us! Host: Emma de Leeuw Fixed guest: Hans Stegeman Guest: Simon Scholl

    33 min
  6. The monetization of impact; just another accounting fad or a real opportunity for change? (with Megan Roux)

    04/16/2025

    The monetization of impact; just another accounting fad or a real opportunity for change? (with Megan Roux)

    Welcome to Money for Change, the podcast made by Triodos Bank! In this podcast, we will share insights and challenges related to our core question: how can we accelerate the change to a more balanced and just world? Each episode, we will dive into a specific topic that is relevant for answering this question. Hans Stegeman, Triodos Bank’s Chief Economist, is a recurring guest in the show. When assessing the societal value of a business, we should not only consider its net profit but also its so called ‘externalities’. In this sense, externalities can be explained as the unintended side-effects for people and planet created by business activities. However, it can be challenging to quantify these externalities. For example, how can you put a price tag on the eroding biodiversity of a region? One way of doing this is by ‘monetizing’ the environmental and social impact of activities. With monetization we can put a monetary term on the cost or the benefit that a certain activity has on our society. This can be done with negative externalities like air pollution, but also positive externalities like wellbeing and social connectedness can be monetized. In this podcast, we chat with Megan Roux, manager at the Impact Institute, about examples on how we’re currently putting economic values on externalities. Next to this, we also take a bit more critical perspective. While including externalities in our economic calculations is a step forward, it bears the risk of oversimplifying complex issues. For instance, can the negative environmental effects of the fossil fuel industry stay justified as long as they make high enough profit to offset the damage? Just as any other week, Hans has brought some very interesting news as well. In the beginning of today’s episode, we’ll also discuss current developments regarding climate resolutions, put a bright perspective on the current state of Europe and talk about the public support for climate change policy. If you have any comments or questions about this episode, feel free to contact us using the form on our webpage: https://www.triodos.com/en/podcasts/money-for-change Enjoy listening and don’t forget to rate & follow us! Host: Emma de Leeuw Fixed guest: Hans Stegeman Guest: Megan Roux

    29 min

About

In this podcast, experts from Triodos Bank update you on sustainability transitions. Each week the host discusses a question with chief economist Hans Stegeman and an expert. Our goal is to give you new insights on what it takes to create a just and sustainable world.