Switching to a cold shower every day would cut your impact on the environment (a little). But it could have a much bigger impact on how much you enjoy your morning routine. At the end of the day, some climate actions are disruptive for little return. And others – like changing to a greener bank – pack a much bigger punch while being pretty easy.

To understand why our money plays such an important role in climate efforts, it’s worth considering what happens to it when it’s not in our pocket. Because banks "create" money in the form of the loans they make, they control where these funds enter the economy. Styliani Panetsidou and Angelos Synapis, of Coventry University, explain how banks’ investment decisions today can lock in rising carbon figures for decades to come.

Their article on why banking matters is part of a new series called Green Your Money from The Conversation U.K.’s business and environment teams. The series also delves into the psychological reasons why people rarely change their bank – even when they hate the investments it makes. Over the rest of this week, there will also be pieces on the climate-driven crisis in insurance, why we shouldn’t rush to celebrate “green finance” and whether it’s finally time to include arms spending in responsible investing criteria.