Episode 01 How To Turn Banking Customers Into Sustainability Champions

In this opening installment of Nordic Visionaries, we introduce a fresh series spotlighting entrepreneurs, creators, and advocates at the crossroads of innovation and sustainability throughout the Nordic countries.

Our first guest, Mathias Wikström, sheds light on how cultural values shape our approach to protecting nature and why weaving sustainability into financial services is a long-term strategy. Together, we examine how transparent banking practices, combined with mindful consumer choices, can boost both human and environmental well-being. He shared how we’ve grown used to the belief that buying more means living better while missing the broader consequences of those choices.

His take? The moment we link each purchase to data—whether it’s a carbon score, water usage, or social impact—we start making choices that benefit everyone. This isn’t about judging ourselves or others. It’s about giving people the facts they need to decide which brands deserve their hard-earned cash.

Mathias also reveals the importance of storytelling in shifting habits, highlighting a real-life example from Bank of the West, where a new perspective on everyday transactions sparked a surge of interest and retention. This conversation touches on the power of empathy, the need for collaboration across sectors, and how linking every purchase to environmental impact might become a normal part of daily life.

This engaging episode sets the stage for a series that probes the Nordic mindset on merging profit with a strong sense of responsibility and how mindful spending can open the door to real progress for our communities and the planet.