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Your money. Your impact.
From current accounts to ETFs: we show you what makes financial products sustainable and what to look out for. Because sustainability and returns don't have to be mutually exclusive.
€3.6 trillion
held by private households in Germany as cash and bank deposits
Source: Deutsche Bundesbank, as of Q2 2026
over €620 bn
in additional investment needed by the EU every year for the Green Deal and REPowerEU
Source: European Commission, Strategic Foresight Report 2023
US$1.19 trillion
in financing for fossil-fuel energy supply was arranged by banks worldwide in 2025 – slightly more than for low-carbon energy (US$1.15 trillion)
Source: BloombergNEF, as of September 2026
Trillions of euros sit in bank accounts – often earning next to nothing, with no clear picture of what they finance. Yet this is exactly the capital our economy needs to transform.
Building a climate-friendly economy takes capital – and some of it is in your hands. By choosing your bank, your securities account or your insurance, you have a say in what your money is used for. Small steps that add up.
Private households in Germany hold around €3.6 trillion in cash and bank deposits. Just over two thirds of that is cash and overnight deposits, which on average earn hardly any interest.
Sources: Deutsche Bundesbank (as of Q2 2026); ECB interest rate statistics (August 2026)
According to the European Commission, the EU needs over €620 billion in additional investment every year to meet the goals of the Green Deal and REPowerEU. By far the largest share will have to come from private sources.
Source: European Commission, Strategic Foresight Report 2023
Your bank works with your balance – and conventional banks may use it to finance activities you wouldn't support, such as fossil fuels. Sustainable banks commit to firm environmental and social criteria; some even disclose which businesses and projects they lend to.
Three common myths about sustainable investing – and what's really behind them.
Myth
Fact
There is no evidence of a general penalty: in a review of more than 1,000 studies, 59% of investment studies found similar or better risk-adjusted performance than conventional approaches, and only 14% found worse. How an individual product performs depends on the period, strategy and costs, though – past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
Source: Whelan, Atz & Clark (2021), NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business & Rockefeller Asset Management
Myth
Fact
Your bank works with your balance – customer deposits are a key source of funding for banks. With a sustainable bank, you support lending that follows environmental and social criteria. And many individual decisions together show banks and providers where demand lies.
Myth
Fact
From sustainable instant-access savings to Article 9 funds, there are products for every level of experience. On our platform, we explain the key terms and give you an overview of products and their sustainability features – the decision is yours.
No radical changes needed – even small steps make a difference.
Understand what makes financial products sustainable and what terms like ESG, Articles 8 and 9 or labels like the FNG label mean.
A current or instant-access savings account with a sustainable bank is an easy first step. Savings accounts are usually free, while current accounts often come with fees – compare the terms.
Want to build wealth over the long term? Find out about sustainable ETFs, funds or bonds – and carefully weigh up opportunities, risks and costs.
Check regularly whether your investments still match your sustainability goals – products, criteria and rules change.
Explore the key categories – from everyday accounts to sustainable investments.
Your everyday account with a bank that lends according to environmental and social criteria.
Beginner-friendlySavings you can access at any time, with a variable interest rate – protected by law up to €100,000 per customer and bank.
Easy accessA fixed interest rate for a fixed term – in return, your money is tied up until the term ends.
Safety-orientedYour securities account – for example with a sustainable bank – for ETFs, funds, shares and bonds.
Capital marketsTrack an index built according to sustainability criteria – usually with low ongoing costs.
PassiveFund managers select companies specifically according to sustainability criteria – costs are usually higher than for ETFs.
Actively managedPursue a sustainable investment objective under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation – the most demanding category.
Sustainable objectiveInvest specifically in areas such as renewable energy, water or education – less diversified and therefore often more volatile.
FocusedThe proceeds go to defined environmental and climate projects, such as renewable energy or energy-efficient buildings.
Environment & climateFinance social projects such as affordable housing, education or healthcare.
SocialCombine green and social projects in a single bond.
CombinedThe terms, such as the interest rate, depend on whether the issuer meets predefined sustainability targets.
Target-linkedYour premiums are invested in funds – many policies offer a choice of sustainable funds.
RetirementThe insurer invests your premiums – check whether it applies sustainability criteria and reports on them.
Long-termSome policies include green extras – such as covering the extra cost of replacing damaged appliances with particularly energy-efficient ones.
EverydayIn some policies, green add-ons cover the extra cost of rebuilding to a more energy-efficient standard after damage.
PropertyYou'll find selected products with details such as SFDR classification and ongoing costs on the Finance platform.
Open the Finance platformThree dimensions used to assess companies and projects – and therefore financial products: environmental, social and governance, or ESG for short.
How do the companies and projects being financed affect the climate and nature?
How do they treat people – in their own operations and along the supply chain?
How responsibly and transparently are they managed?
Good to know: ESG ratings from different providers often reach different conclusions about the same company. So it's worth looking at the criteria behind a product.Source: Berg, Kölbel & Rigobon (2022), Review of Finance
By investing sustainably, you can support several of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals – for example these:
Answers about sustainable financial products.
Both terms come from the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), which sets out what sustainability information providers of financial products must disclose.
Article 8 funds promote environmental or social characteristics – but sustainability doesn't have to be their actual investment objective. Article 9 funds have a sustainable investment objective: apart from holdings for purposes such as hedging or liquidity, they may only make sustainable investments as defined in the regulation, and they must report regularly on how they meet their objective. Article 9 is therefore the more demanding category.
Important: providers classify their products themselves – it is not a quality label. The EU is currently revising the regulation: under the European Commission's proposal of November 2025, Articles 8 and 9 would be replaced by product categories with minimum requirements. Until new rules apply, Articles 8 and 9 remain in place (as of October 2026).
“Sustainable” is not a protected term for banks, and there are no uniform minimum standards. These questions will help:
Independent comparisons such as the Fair Finance Guide Germany or tests by Stiftung Warentest can help you get your bearings. And feel free to ask your bank directly.
Green bonds are bonds whose proceeds go to defined environmental or climate projects – such as renewable energy or energy-efficient buildings. How green they really are depends on the individual case. For a long time, there were only voluntary market standards such as the Green Bond Principles of the International Capital Market Association (ICMA).
Since 21 December 2024, there has also been a voluntary EU standard for green bonds (European Green Bond): at least 85% of the proceeds must go to activities aligned with the EU Taxonomy, and external reviewers must be registered with and supervised by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).
Check what the money is actually used for, whether there is an external review (e.g. a second-party opinion) and whether the issuer reports regularly on the use of proceeds and impact. And remember: a green bond says nothing about how sustainable the rest of the issuer's business is.
No. Nachhaltigkeitshelden is an information platform: we explain terms, give an overview of sustainable financial products and link to the providers. We do not provide investment, legal or tax advice, and we do not make personal recommendations to buy or sell.
If you would like individual advice, please contact an independent body – for example a consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale) or a licensed fee-based investment adviser.
Greenwashing means presenting a product as more sustainable than it really is. Typical warning signs include:
Helpful: since May 2025, funds in the EU with terms such as “ESG” or “sustainable” in their name must align at least 80% of their investments accordingly and apply certain exclusions (ESMA guidelines on fund names). This does not apply to savings products such as bank accounts. Also read the pre-contractual sustainability disclosures and the Key Information Document, and look for independent labels such as the FNG label.
You can use the Finance platform free of charge and without registering. If you conclude a contract with a provider via a link on our platform, we may receive a commission for it. This does not cost you anything extra.
On the Finance platform, you'll find explanations of the key product categories and a first set of specific products – free of charge and without registration. We're continuously expanding the platform: sign up for our newsletter and we'll keep you posted on new products and features.
Not investment advice – please read our disclaimer and risk notice.
The information provided on this page and on the Nachhaltigkeitshelden Finance platform is for general information purposes only. It does not constitute investment, legal or tax advice and is not a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell financial products. It is no substitute for individual advice that takes personal circumstances into account. Despite careful review, we cannot guarantee that the information is accurate, complete or up to date. Information on sustainability aspects is based on publicly available data, including data from third-party providers, and may differ from the standards actually practised by the providers. Users should verify the information themselves – in particular against the respective provider's Key Information Document, prospectus and pre-contractual disclosures. To the extent permitted by law, we accept no liability for losses arising from decisions made on the basis of this information; this does not affect liability for intent and gross negligence or for injury to life, body or health. The platform contains links to external third-party websites whose content we cannot influence. The respective provider or operator is always responsible for that content; we do not adopt it as our own. If a contract is concluded via a link on our platform, we may receive a commission from the provider; this does not result in any additional costs for users. We reserve all rights to our database.
Investments in securities and other financial products involve risks that may lead to the partial or total loss of the capital invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Sustainability features alone say nothing about a product's return or risk. Bank deposits are protected by the statutory deposit guarantee scheme up to €100,000 per customer and bank – this protection does not cover price losses on securities. Users should weigh the risks carefully and seek independent professional advice if needed.
Information as of October 2026
