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Impact Report August 2020

Published September 14, 2020

We established Tomorrow because we want to play our part in creating a better, more sustainable tomorrow with you. Our Impact Report is a compact monthly update that keeps you up to date on our progress. With the latest figures, insights into how we are committed to the SDGs of the United Nations and the lowdown on additional projects that we want to continue to grow with our positive impact. Let’s get started!

Your money is our capital for change

Your money is our capital. Unlike at many other conventional banks, it is not invested in the arms industry, factory farming or coal-fired power plants. So the more money we take away from these banks, the better. Money, after all, needs to be part of the solution, not the problem.

The more money that is paid into our accounts, the more good we can do.

In the month of August

Our joint contribution to protecting the climate

Every time you use your Tomorrow card in a store, a small fee is paid to us by the retailer. But instead of pocketing the money for ourselves like other banks do, we are investing it in a forest protection project in Brazil. The more often you pay using your Tomorrow card, the more square metres of rainforest are protected.

The Amazon is the world’s largest, intact rainforest and the climate protection contribution is helping to preserve it. The money is being donated to a forest protection project in Portel, Brazil and the area we are protecting is growing every month.

Offset your carbon footprint with Zero 

With Zero, our premium account, you can offset as much CO₂ as the average German emits in a year: around 11 tonnes. The more of our users who switch to Zero, the more CO₂ will be offset. Together we can make a significant change. 

We are currently funding three climate protection projects for the CO₂ compensation. Read more about how that works here.

Tomorrow and the Sustainable Development Goals 

In 2015 the United Nations defined a set of global goals for sustainable development: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Tomorrow is committed to these SDGs. In each of our Impact Reports we will pick out one of the goals and explain in more detail how we are contributing to fulfilling it.

We ensure that our climate protection projects are not only for the good of the climate, but also the people in the Global South – and also here in Germany. And thanks to the Green Bonds of the NRW Bank, which are financed in part by our deposits, investments are being made in clean transportation and sustainable residential and public buildings, i.e. in vehicles powered by electricity and hydrogen (such as buses, trains, cars etc.) and the corresponding infrastructure such as charging stations and hydrogen filling stations. Investments are also being made in residential buildings of private households. Here the main focus is on energy-efficient renovation measures that lead to a reduction in the use of resources, improving environmental protection or eliminating hazardous substances. When it comes to the investments in the new construction or renovation of public buildings, such as administration buildings or public health facilities, the goal of reducing energy consumption is also at the fore – and is achieved through access to geothermal energy, heat recovery systems or solar panels.

What else?

Every month we try to increase our positive impact further with new projects and initiatives – but also by giving talks, participating in demos or simply by taking a stand. Here’s a current overview:

An overview of our own CO₂ footprint and a better tomorrow for us all

On a daily basis we make decisions that have an impact on our climate. It makes a difference whether we opt for vegetarian or animal products and whether we avoid plastic or not. At an Impact Meet-Up in August that’s why we came together with you to take a closer look at not only these small everyday decisions, but also bigger climate protection projects – and also discussed the sustainability strategy for Tomorrow’s impact. There was also a fascinating – and very inspiring – Lightning Talk from the community! And a Tech Meet-Up took place in August too, where we shared our current plans for topics like VPay or joint accounts – not to mention a new feature for our Tomorrow app, which is currently in the works. Here’s a clue: it involves an overview of the CO2 balance of your purchases and a personal monthly CO2 budget. Stay tuned!

Another matter that is close to our hearts was launched on 8 September: a fundraising campaign with the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, which is committed to preventing right-wing extremism, racism and antisemitism. Because we all have a responsibility to take a clear stance when it comes to these topics – and to support them wherever we can. For all those who want to donate: all it takes is a few clicks in the app.