Finance Innovation Lab

Labour ministers met fossil fuel lobbyists 500 times in first year of power, analysis shows Lobbyists attended 48% more meetings than Tories, as Labour accused of giving them ‘backstage pass’

Whose side are they on? Just when we are meant to be reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, the government has been increasing their interaction with the sector.

Global use of coal hit record high in 2024 Bleak report finds greenhouse gas emissions are still rising despite ‘exponential’ growth of renewables

Coal use continues to rise because banks and investors continue to finance it.

No major banks have yet committed to stop funding new oil, gas and coal, research finds ‘The objectives of the Paris agreement are slipping further out of reach,’ say researchers from LSE

The market will chase profit, even if that means driving us all over the edge of a cliff.
It’s up to governments to step in to change course

Write to your MP: Divest our pensions from risky fossil fuels! UK pensions invest £88 billion in fossil fuels, causing the equivalent of 80% of the annual emissions of the entire country through fossil fuel funding alone. This puts both our planet and pension…

We need the government to take action. Email your MP today: filab.uk/404DlHP

Why the Pension Schemes Bill must tackle climate risk to protect UK savers - Finance Innovation Lab This article was written by our CEO, Jesse Griffiths, for Net Zero Investor. You can read the original article here. The UK’s pension system, with around £3trn in asset, is undergoing its most…

British pensions could be worth far less if we ignore climate risk.
Without action, an estimated 20–30% will be wiped off our savings by 2040.
But the Pension Schemes Bill can tackle fossil fuel exposure to protect savers’ futures.
filab.uk/49dNEOY

Cash at 9%: Why the Headline Number Tells Half the Story

Fascinating piece from Lab Associate David Fagleman on the role of cash — and why a fully ‘cashless society’ is still a long way off.

We need to understand where and who still relies on cash — and make sure access remains.

‘Dismal’ health of world’s forests is threat to humanity, report warns Financial institutions pouring money into land clearance and undermining efforts to stop destruction, says Climate Focus

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“Efforts to protect forests don’t stand a chance as long as our economic system keeps rewarding quick profits from forest destruction,”

Since the Paris agreement banks have made $26bn from financing deforesting companies.
@ClimateFocus.bsky.social

UK must prepare buildings for 2C rise in global temperature, government told Climate advisers warn that current plans to protect against extreme weather are inadequate

filab.uk/46UAMvN
The climate crisis means more and worse flooding, heatwaves and extreme weather. The UK needs to invest now to future proof against the impacts of climate change. Inaction will cost much more.

Towns may have to be abandoned due to floods with millions more homes in Great Britain at risk Every constituency projected to be at greater risk, with many areas likely to be uninsurable, Guardian investigation finds

bit.ly/48nJhAC
Increased flooding due to climate change means that towns across the UK are going to be unable to access insurance. That is going to have a massive impact for them - and for our whole financial system.

Nearly 80% of Britons support their pension being invested in renewable energy – UKSIF A new poll has revealed that 79% of Britons support their pensions being invested in renewable energy – including around half (53%) of Reform UK voters.

filab.uk/4nLSE1J
Investing our pensions in renewables is common sense, and it’s popular across the political spectrum. Nearly 80% of Britons want their pensions invested in renewables. We can’t retire on a planet on fire!

3 x Trustees (financial system policy, comms, and fundraising) At Finance Innovation Lab we believe in a financial system that serves people and planet. Our financial system has become disconnected from the real needs of people, the environment, the wider…

Could you help @thefinancelab.bsky.social transform the financial system for the better? Apply to join our board of trustees! Find out more and apply. Closes this Wednesday.
filab.uk/3ILzERJ

3 x Trustees (financial system policy, comms, and fundraising) At Finance Innovation Lab we believe in a financial system that serves people and planet. Our financial system has become disconnected from the real needs of people, the environment, the wider…

📢Trustee recruitment📢 Could you help @thefinancelab.bsky.social transform the financial system for the better? Previous board experience not required, and you’ll have a ‘board buddy’ to support you. Find out more and apply. Closes 15 October 2025.
filab.uk/3ILzERJ

The government has ambitious goals. Do they have a plan for how to achieve them?  - Finance Innovation Lab This post was written by our Director of Programmes and Campaigns, Nick Bryer. The atmosphere of the Labour party conference wasn’t as celebratory as you might expect for a party that has just…

Last year we questioned whether the govt’s ambitious goals had a plan behind them. A year on, it’s time to see how far they’ve come - and what’s next.

The Labour Party Conference kicks off today - our team is in Liverpool and ready to get to work.

3 x Trustees (financial system policy, comms, and fundraising) At Finance Innovation Lab we believe in a financial system that serves people and planet. Our financial system has become disconnected from the real needs of people, the environment, the wider…

📢Volunteer recruitment📢 Could you help @TheFinanceLab transform the financial system for the better? Apply to join our board of trustees! Find out more and apply. Closes 15 October 2025.
filab.uk/3ILzERJ

3 x Trustees (financial system policy, comms, and fundraising) At Finance Innovation Lab we believe in a financial system that serves people and planet. Our financial system has become disconnected from the real needs of people, the environment, the wider economy...

📢Volunteer recruitment📢 Could you help @TheFinanceLab transform the financial system for the better? Apply to join our board of trustees! Find out more and apply.

app.beapplied.com/apply/yg7lao...

Closes 15 October 2025.

UK Anti-Corruption Coalition (@ukanticorruptioncoalition.org) 🆕: Leaders from the anti-corruption space have written to the new Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy MP and new Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper MP, urging them to continue the UK’s leadership on…

The UK has responsibility and opportunity to help lead the fight against dirty money. 💰🌍
We join calls for David Lammy & @yvettecooper-mp.bsky.social
to deliver the planned Summit on Countering Illicit Finance so tackling corruption stays a core govt priority.
🔗

Lab update: Better Pensions Coalition works with MPs to influence new bill  - Finance Innovation Lab At the start of this month, on July 7th, Parliament debated the Pension Schemes Bill for the first time. An array of MPs called for greater ambition from the bill – which is the first legislative…

Last week a committee of MPs began scrutinising the Pension Schemes Bill - new rules that'll change the way our pensions are invested.
@stevedarlingmp.bsky.social @johnmilnehorsham.bsky.social + @kirstysnp.bsky.social raised climate change - the biggest threat to our retirements

Two men and two women stand together indoors, smiling at the camera. The man on the left wears glasses and a checked shirt. Next to them is a woman in a patterned blazer. The third person, wearing a dark jacket, holds a leaflet that says “Fair Banking For All.” The fourth person, in a grey blazer, also holds a leaflet with the same text. The group is in a well-lit lobby with stairs and wooden paneling in the background.

Last week we met @mchshe.bsky.social @skinnock.bsky.social & Kate Pender to talk about why #AffordableCredit matters in strengthening communities & driving economic growth - & the need to scale #CreditUnions & #CDFIs which provide vital lifelines for communities & businesses.

#FairBankingForAll

TUC: Gender pension gap means retired women effectively stop receiving pension from today The gender pension gap in the UK means that retired women effectively go over four months each year without getting a pension – the equivalent of losing out on £7,600 a year on average.

Last Thursday marked #GenderPensionGap Day – the point in the year when retired women have, in effect, stopped receiving a pension compared to men.
That’s a £7,600 annual shortfall – over 4 months without income. Time to fix this.

Letter to the Pensions Commission - Finance Innovation Lab In August 2025, the Finance Innovation Lab and civil society organisations and unions in the Better Pensions Coalition jointly wrote to the new Pensions Commission. We offer our support for the…

We've written to the Pensions Commission with partners in the Better Pensions Coalition.
We celebrate its mandate to tackle inequality and poverty, ask to participate in the consultation process, and make the case for climate change to be considered.
Read the letter ⬇️

Hats off to @evertonfc.com for taking this step to guarantee all of their staff security when they retire! #LivingPension

Now it’s time for the Pensions Commission to recommend that the government follows suit to ensure that everyone can retire with dignity.

Everton football club ground in background with blue overlay. In foreground 3 colourful logos - Living Pension Employer logo, Everton Football Club logo, Living Wage employer logo.

🌟We’re thrilled to announce that @evertonfc.com are the first Premier League football club to achieve Living Pension accreditation!

Congratulations to the Toffees for leading the way and proving that true champions look after their people 🙌

Get the full story: www.livingwage.org.uk/news/everton...

The Gender Wealth Gap in Great Britain A gendered analysis of wealth, assets and the role of wealth taxation in tackling inequality

A new report from
@womensbudgetgrp.bsky.social
finds that nearly all the gender wealth gap is due to differences in pension wealth - with men holding £67,000 more pension wealth than women on average (a 43% gap).
Read more here: filab.uk/450vMn2

How pension credit taper would stop poorer retirees missing out on thousands MPs have urged the Government to overhaul the benefit - worth up to £4,000 a year for the poorest pensioners - to open it up to more people

Great to see our recommendations included here - as WBG's policy advisor Dr Daniella Jenkins put it: "There is a gender pensions gap for every age cohort. This isn’t an old problem, it is a pernicious and persistent inequality faced by women of every generation entering the labour market."

Why voluntary market fixes won’t solve the credit crisis - Finance Innovation Lab Sam Rex-Edwards, our Head of Movement Building and Campaigns, reflects on last week’s sudden closure of the Financial Fairness Trust by asset manager Aberdeen Group. The shock move by asset manager…

Tweaks to a broken system won’t fix the UK’s credit crisis.
Voluntary market fixes have failed to deliver fair, affordable credit for millions. It's time for bold, systemic change.

Read our latest blog: filab.uk/4llAZg8
@fbfacampaign.bsky.social

#FairBankingForAll

Our pensions system is unfair and inadequate. Will the government’s Commission fix it? - Finance Innovation Lab This article was written by our CEO, Jesse Griffiths, for Pensions Expert. You can read the original article here. The government’s promise to undertake the biggest review of the UK’s pensions system…

The government is right. Our pensions system is unfair and inadequate. It’s driving poverty, inequality and climate destruction.
Will the newly announced Pensions Commission rise to the challenge?
Read our CEO, @jesselgriffiths.bsky.social, take: filab.uk/3Ur0JvI

Lab Statement: Launch of a new Pensions Commission - Finance Innovation Lab In response to the announcement that the government are launching a new Pensions Commission to examine the reasons why so many people are facing the prospect of poverty in retirement and to make…

The new Pensions Commission must tackle the inequality at the heart of the UK’s pension system.
~2/3rds of pension wealth is held by the richest 10%, while millions face hardship in retirement.
Read our statement from @marloesnicholls.bsky.social, Head of Advocacy: filab.uk/46YlcPU

GFANZ is in freefall: so what happens next? - Finance Innovation Lab The collapse of the idea that a voluntary alliance of financial sector firms could drive sufficient climate and nature ambition is an opportunity to focus on the real issues. This article was written…

2/ Back in January our Head of Climate and Nature, Jon Dennis, wrote on how the collapse of voluntary agreements means we need more climate leadership from governments.
filab.uk/4kP3CBb

Fossil fuel financing soared while major banks left NZBA, report finds Retreat of major banks from climate alliances coincides with $162bn rise in fossil fuel financing, says latest analysis of oil, gas and coal financing.

filab.uk/3IB9bG6
Climate related crises have increased but so have banks funding fossil fuels. As several banks have left voluntary climate-agreements, their fossil fuel funding has increased.