The Path – the first financial advisory firm in the UK set up specifically to tackle the climate crisis – has achieved the incredible result of being shortlisted for the high-profile Sky Zero Footprint Fund.
This £2m initiative was established by Sky as part of its Sky Zero campaign to be Net Zero by 2030 and has been designed to support brands that are committed to driving positive behavioural change, amplify their environmental messages and accelerate their missions of creating a more sustainable future – all through the power of TV and advertising.
A strong and vast line-up of media agencies, creative agencies and brands entered into the process to be in with a chance of securing up to £1 million in advertising support, with only 10 making the shortlist and being chosen to progress to stage 2 of the judging process which will determine the top five places.
The Path, which was set up by David Macdonald in 2019, is one of the youngest companies on the list as well as the only financial company. Others that feature on the shortlist include Here We Flo, Eden Project, Ocean Bottle, OVO, Tesco, Brewdog, Unilever (Persil), OLIO and Pura.
The Path has earned this spot through helping families, couples and individuals to put their money where their values are and move their pensions and investments from conventional funds, that could be propping up exploitative and damaging industries, to portfolios that are actively supporting solutions to the world’s problems, focusing on themes such as clean energy, sustainability and a circular economy.
It knows this to be the simplest way that consumers can contribute towards a better, more sustainable future – as well as the only way that is impactful enough to force change at the speed that is now needed in order to reverse the impact that humans are having on the planet.
And it’s working. Since The Path’s inception, its team has grown to 15, all passionate and purposeful and just as determined to make a difference as its founder is, having already helped hundreds of investors to make the sustainable switch.
David Macdonald, founder of The Path, comments: “We’re thrilled to have been shortlisted for the Sky Zero Footprint Fund. To have our efforts towards tackling the climate crisis recognised in this way, alongside the likes of Eden Project, Unilever and Ocean Bottle, is such a huge honour.
“When I first set up The Path in 2019, I could see an opportunity to benefit the planet for future generations that not many people were bothering to take seriously. And, for a while, I felt like I was out there by myself – with very few even talking about sustainable investment, let alone doing anything about it.
“But times have changed, and this shortlisting has come as extremely welcome encouragement that what we’re doing at The Path is so important in not only securing people’s retirement, but creating a future worth retiring into.”
“We’re so excited for the next steps of this process and look forward to sharing more of our ideas and goals with the judges in the second round of this process.”
The top five brands will go on to share the £2 million pot of media value between them, with each guaranteed at least £250,000 and the overall winner securing a staggering £1 million of media value for its campaign. The winners will be announced in July, with the £1m winner judged and selected in October.
Judges include advertising legend Sir John Hegarty, Su-Mei Thompson, CEO of the Media Trust, Juliet Davenport, CEO of Good Energy, Lindsey Clay CEO Thinkbox, Stephen Woodford, chair of the Advertising Association, Jo Coombes, founder of AdGreen, Gideon Spanier, UK editor in chief of Campaign and Karen Blackett OBE Country Manager at WPP & GroupM UK CEO.
