Leaving a legacy behind

Most of us want to leave a legacy – whether that be children, grandchildren, a financial inheritance, making an impact in our job or the charity we support.  But what if our legacy can be bigger than that … ?

Having just had England’s hottest Summer on record, it feels poignant to think about the small steps we can take in the ‘here and now’ that lead to achieving bigger picture goals in the future. With harsher, colder Winters becoming a growing reality and hotter, drier Summers becoming the new norm, we must ask ourselves – what are the small things that we can do in our everyday lives that will help slow down these potentially drastic climate changes?

There are lots of things we can do and we know that many of our clients take this responsibility very seriously, but here are some of the things that are important to me personally and that I have made a conscious choice to be mindful about:

• Reducing meat consumption

Cutting down on meat consumption is a big way that we can impact our environment – particularly since the way that we currently farm is not sustainable.  Forests and habitats are cut down to provide space and to grow feed for animals – which leads to reduced biodiversity. Cutting down rainforests to use the land for beef farms also has a direct link to how our water cycle works

• Purchasing locally grown food

Eating local produce reduces fuel emissions that result from importing food from across the world

• Supporting organic farmers

Whilst organic food is more expensive, it supports our ecosystems. Pesticides (used in producing non-organic products) have been linked to causing hormone imbalances (amongst other things) in the body, all of which can cause a whole host of health issues. It is currently legal in many countries across the world to use pesticides that kill pollinating insects – which as we know are crucial for the health and future of our ecosystems

• Changing travel routines

Walking or using a bicycle is a great way to stay fit and healthy, as well as keeping our environment free of pollutants. Using public transport or car sharing is a good way to lower our carbon emissions. Thoughtfully choosing a car that can be charged using electricity or has a good C02 emissions rating or thinking about whether or not your family really requires multiple cars is all about being mindful of our decisions and the impact that they have globally

• Reusing and recycling

There is so much unwanted household waste from clothes and furniture to broken TVs and toys that children have outgrown. Trying to fix things that are broken instead of automatically throwing them into landfill or giving things away to someone who might need them are two ways of getting the most use out of our possessions

I hope this brief look at the changes I am trying to make in my own life has motivated you to also think about the future we’re creating for the people we leave behind. Together hopefully we can begin to reverse some of the effects of climate change … small stones to create larger ripples.

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk