Jane Michotte, head of customer success EMEA at Cogo, explains why banks are in a unique position to be able to help create positive environmental change at scale, and what it means to her to be see green fintech on the agenda at the Open Banking Expo Europe Confex 2022.
1. What is of note, in your view, on this year’s Open Banking Expo Europe agenda?
I may be a little biased, but I’m really delighted to see green fintech on the agenda. A few years ago this wouldn’t have been the case, but it really does signal that the industry is waking up to the fact that it can and must take steps to have a positive impact.
2. What unique perspective will you bring to the conversation?
I plan to share insights from research we’ve done, which shows that consumers are keen to know more about the environmental impact of their spend and are supportive of banks taking action to help reduce environmental impact. I will also draw on our knowledge and experience of working with banks around the world to introduce carbon tracking products into their tech.
Cogo’s Jane Michotte
3. Why is your topic for discussion important?
With the record breaking temperatures we’ve seen across Europe in the past few months, there is no getting away from the fact that climate change is impacting each and every one of our lives in some way. Now is the time to act, and banks and financial institutions are in a unique position to be able to help create positive change at scale due to the fact that they have millions of customers. In very simple terms, banks help consumers understand their money/spending, and so by extension, banks can help people understand the carbon impact of their spending.
4. What is the key message you want to leave the audience with?
The climate crisis is happening now and we need to address it now. With vast customer numbers and access to customer spending data, banks are in a unique position to be able to help by giving their customers the tools to be able to measure, reduce and compensate for their impact on the climate.
Michotte is speaking on the panel session ‘Green fintech: Helping customers become conscious consumers’ at Open Banking Expo Europe, which takes place on 30 September 2022 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with headline partner Token. Click here to view the agenda in full and get your tickets, which are free for qualifying individuals.
