A former investment banker and a climate journalist meet – and arrive at the same conclusion

“From Schneider to Schneider” could have been the title of the evening that brought EWIA investors together at an exclusive event in Munich at the end of November. The two Schneiders represented two different generations with very different attitudes. They did not always agree, but that was precisely why they engaged in dialogue. What unites both Schneiders is their concern for the climate.

EWIA turned five this year. It was time to recap these five years and celebrate together with investors and companions, with like-minded people who see capital as a tool for impact. To this end, we invited our guests to the Kater Mikesch event location in Munich on November 27. But we didn't come alone: we brought with us a well-traveled young woman who has a lot to say on the subject of climate change.

From the Ahrtal to Belém

Louisa Schneider had just attended the COP30 climate conference, which took place in Belém, Brazil, from November 10 to 21. She has been familiar with climate change since it brutally disrupted her life in 2021.

When Louisa was 21, the Ahr Valley, just a stone's throw away from her home, was hit by a once-in-a-century flood on the night of July 14-15, 2021. At least 135 people died, and the damage has still not been repaired. This experience led her to work on climate issues for SWR. She then visited five climate tipping points around the world for Greenpeace: the rainforest in Brazil threatened by slash-and-burn farming, Senegal during the rainy season, the permafrost in Canada, the melting ice sheet in Greenland, and the bleaching corals of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. She describes these journeys in her book “Grad° Jetzt” (Degree Now) and also in free live performances with multimedia elements.

What a climate possibilist thinks about solar

So who better to convey the message that it is at least five minutes to midnight? We therefore gave investors who had invested at least €10,000 in one of the EWIA campaigns or projects, or who could justify why they wanted to be involved, the opportunity to attend Louisa Schneider's multimedia presentation and the subsequent discussion “From Schneider to Schneider.”

At the tipping points Louisa visited, the point of no return has already been passed; these ecosystems can no longer be saved. Forty listeners listened to the young woman, who also reported from Belém and spoke at length about the devastating situation in Senegal. Here, the climate crisis has long been part of everyday life, and entire communities are losing their crops because the rainy seasons are shifting. And people here live without access to energy. Nevertheless, Louisa Schneider considers herself a “climate possibilist,” meaning she points out opportunities for how we can all take countermeasures.

Can climate justice and fair business models be reconciled?

EWIA CEO Ralph Schneider, on the other hand, who made investment banking his profession at Louisa's age and thought very little of the “Nuclear power? No thanks” movement, comes from a different generation – and now often comes to the same conclusion as Louisa. The birth of his daughters and the idea of leaving our children and grandchildren a world worth living in certainly had something to do with it and was the personal tipping point for the 59-year-old.

Between "Schneider to Schneider", we talked about climate justice, access to energy in Africa, projects that bring light to hospitals, create opportunities in villages—and at the same time offer fair interest rates. A conversation is not exciting and rewarding when both conversation partners think the same thing from the outset, but when it leads to both being able to understand the other's point of view. In Louisa's words:

"We highlighted differences – which ultimately also connect us – challenged each other to become better, discussed personal tipping points and the question of how we as a society can finally use capital as a tool for international cohesion and support.

This evening showed me that perhaps climate justice doesn't have to be just an ideal in a fundamentally different economic system, but can already be a fair business model for the future today."

Capital used wisely can open up opportunities

Because yes, this evening was not about returns or responsibility, but about the power to combine the two. Capital can bear responsibility and bring about real change—if people are willing to go beyond trends and really make a difference. It's about enabling access and thus fundamentally different business models for a healthier, fairer, and safer future.