This App Ranks Home Loans According To ‘Green’ Credentials
Lenders are ranked on Acacia’s app based on sustainability goals and practices.
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With a firm want from the finance industry to look to ‘greener’ options, Acacia Money pulls together collates the trends driving the market, including a growing desire for climate action, bank funding of the energy transition, the emergence of a platform economy and data-driven analytics used by more empowered consumers.
The two-year-old start-up provides a consolidated view of users’ finances plus insights on the coasts and environmental credentials of energy, superannuation, mortgage and savings products — also helping consumers switch providers.
Joining Acacia this week is Uno Home Loans, a digital mortgage broker that will aid in assessing 85% of the mortgage lenders in the market based on commitments to net-zero and the amount of group revenue earned from lending to fossil fuel-intensive industries. Acacia will show users a host of financial providers ranked in order of ‘sustainability’ on its app.
Beyond mortgage lenders, Acacia is analysing deposits and super funds, encouraging customers to think about shifting to financial institutions with the strongest ESG profiles.
The start-up relies on a range of data feeds to create its environmental scores and is in talks with a range of data providers to get more detail on emission intensity. Currently, it has built tools ranking lenders on governance and their 2030 and 2050 sustainability commitments alongside its lending books.
For Acacia, the goal is to give consumers clarity on where their financial institution of choice lends their money. Some banks have responded to calls for a greener industry and products by offering “green loans”, whereas Acacia wants to bring to light where corporate and institutional lending is being offered.
This stylish family home combines a classic palette and finishes with a flexible floorplan
Just 55 minutes from Sydney, make this your creative getaway located in the majestic Hawkesbury region.
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Starbucks is making another major leadership change just one week after new CEO Brian Niccol started his job.
Michael Conway, the 58-year-old coffee chain’s head of North America, will be retiring at the end of November, according to a Monday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The decision came only six months after Conway took on the job. His position won’t be filled. Instead, the company plans to seek candidates for a new role in charge of Starbucks’ global branding.
The chief brand officer role will have responsibilities across product, marketing, digital, customer insights, creative and store concepts.
“Recognizing the unmatched capabilities of the Starbucks team and seeing the energy and enthusiasm for Brian’s early vision, I could not think of a better time to begin my transition towards retirement,” wrote Conway in a statement.
Conway has been at Starbucks for more than a decade, and was promoted to his current job—a newly created role—back in March, as part of the company’s structural leadership change under former CEO Laxman Narasimhan.
The coffee giant has been struggling with weaker sales in recent quarters, as it faces not only macroeconomic headwinds, but also operational, branding, and product development challenges.
Narasimhan was taking many moves to turn around the business, but faced increasing pressure from the board, shareholders, and activist investors.
One month ago, Starbucks ousted Narasimhan and appointed Brian Niccol, the former CEO at Chipotle, as its top executive. The stock has since jumped 20% in a show of faith for Niccol, who started at Starbucks last week.
When he was at Chipotle, Niccol made a few executive hires that were key to the company’s turnaround.
This stylish family home combines a classic palette and finishes with a flexible floorplan
Just 55 minutes from Sydney, make this your creative getaway located in the majestic Hawkesbury region.
