{
  "id": 826902,
  "title": "The new giving: Impact banking is fishing at the wrong end of the market",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/das-neue-geben-banking-mit-impact-fischt-am-falschen-ende-des-marktes",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-14T02:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/meinung/kolumnen/geldanlage-banking-mit-impact-fischt-am-falschen-ende-des-marktes/100246713.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "A friend of mine received unusual mail. So did 35,000 other customers of the sustainable Triodos Bank. It's a termination letter. The bank is giving up. In Germany, the management board announced that it will not be possible to achieve a relevant size with its offering in the foreseeable future.\n\nOne could conclude that there is not enough demand for green and social investments in Germany. The truth is different: The issue has structural problems as a mass business. But it is precisely where it would work that is lacking: among wealthy customers.\n\nTriodos is not alone. Among the churches, Pax-Bank and Bank für Kirche und Caritas have merged. The digital bank Tomorrow shrunk healthily in 2025, but its last annual financial statements are still deep red. Customers whip out the beautiful debit card made of wood, but invest their assets elsewhere.\n\nThe investment universe is getting larger at the top. Growth is not the problem. The niche prime GLS Bank now has 388,000 customers and a volume of 11.6 billion euros, but with 24 cents per 100 euros of balance sheet total, it only earns a third of what other cooperative banks achieve.",
  "summary": "Billions of euros are waiting to be given a new sense of purpose. But the topic of green and social investing is precisely where it would work: with wealthy customers.",
  "key_points": [
    "Triodos Bank closing, 35,000 customers notified",
    "Sustainable banking faces structural challenges in Germany",
    "GLS Bank earns only a third of cooperative banks' revenue"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The struggles of Triodos Bank and similar institutions reveal that catering to values-driven customers does not guarantee success, as the business model remains structurally challenged, particularly among wealthier clients.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Handelsblatt",
        "title": "The new giving: Impact banking is fishing at the wrong end of the market",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/das-neue-geben-banking-mit-impact-fischt-am-falschen-ende-des-marktes-860102",
        "published": "2026-08-14T09:58:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}