Switching super funds takes 2 minutes and has huge impacts. Will your retirement be funded by fossil fuels, tobacco, and gambling, or by renewable energy, health, and helping homeless people? Your choice.

In Australia, we can choose where our superannuation is invested by choosing our super fund. Some super funds will invest your money in industries such as gambling, tobacco or fossil fuels. Others will invest it in social enterprises, clean energy and the environment. The latter are commonly referred to as ‘ethical’ superannuation providers.

Australia’s collective superannuation is now worth more than $2 trillion. Imagine what could happen if just half of that was invested in ethical industries! Not only would we be removing the financial backing from the fossil fuel industry, where much of the money is currently invested, we’d also be supporting the growth of industries that would see a cleaner, greener Australia.

The only way that can happen is if people like you move your money to ethical superannuation providers.

How ethical is ethical? 

Different funds have different definitions of what ‘ethical’, ‘responsible’ or ‘sustainable’ investment entails. Some may blacklist certain companies, sectors or even countries, while others may still directly or indirectly support the fossil fuel industry.

It’s important to do some research and find a fund that aligns with your own values. Websites such as Market Forces can be a good place to start to see how different super funds stack up. Also, look for a fund that’s a member of the Responsible Investment Association Australia (RIAA), which only certifies funds that have been independently verified as having systems in place to avoid unethical practices.

We recommend Future Super and Australian Ethical Investment (we have had sponsorship from them in the past, but don't receive any money from providing these recommendations).