Is your savings financing destruction or construction?
We talk a lot about the carbon footprint of our purchases, our travel, and our diet. But we often forget one of the most powerful variables: our saved money. A traditional bank account can fund oil drilling in the Arctic or coal-fired power plants in Southeast Asia — without your knowledge. Conversely, well-directed savings can fund wind farms, thermal renovations, or agroforestry projects. The choice is yours.
Here is a comprehensive overview of climate savings products available in France, with their strengths, limitations, and pitfalls to avoid.
The LDDS: green savings accessible to all
The Livret de Developpement Durable et Solidaire (LDDS) is the most widely accessible green savings product in France. With a state-guaranteed rate (3% in 2024), full tax exemption, and immediate liquidity, it combines many advantages. Better still: the collected funds are managed by the Caisse des Depots and used to finance SMEs, social and solidarity economy projects, and the energy transition.
Limitations: the cap is set at 12,000 euros, and the link between deposited funds and financed projects lacks transparency. It is not precisely known which green projects your LDDS actually finances.
Practical tip
Max out your LDDS before investing elsewhere. It is the safest, most liquid product whose environmental impact is best regulated under French law.
Green and SRI funds: investing in the stock market responsibly
To go beyond the LDDS, investment funds labelled SRI (Socially Responsible Investment) or Greenfin allow you to direct your savings towards companies or projects that meet environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria.
In France, more than 1,200 funds were SRI-labelled by the end of 2024. But be careful: the SRI label has been widely criticised for its lack of rigour, with some funds including Total or banks financing fossil fuels in their portfolios. A reform of the label was launched in 2024, with stricter exclusion criteria.
The Greenfin label, which is more demanding, explicitly excludes fossil fuels and nuclear energy (depending on your preference). It is awarded to fewer than 100 funds in France, making the selection more reliable.
Green bonds: directly financing the transition
Green bonds are debt securities issued by governments, companies, or local authorities to finance projects with a positive environmental impact. France was a pioneer with the issuance in 2017 of its first green OAT, now the world's largest sovereign green bond with 36 billion euros raised.
For individuals, accessing green bonds is possible through:
- Green bond funds offered by banks and insurers (accessible via life insurance or PEA).
- Crowdfunding platforms specialising in renewable energy project financing (Enerfip, Lendosphere, Lumo) — with entry tickets often as low as 50 euros and returns between 4 and 7%.
The SFDR Article 9 classification: the holy grail of green finance
The European SFDR (Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation) classifies funds into three categories based on their level of environmental commitment:
- Article 6: conventional funds that simply take ESG risks into account without any specific objective.
- Article 8: funds that "promote" environmental or social characteristics — the majority of so-called "green" funds.
- Article 9: funds with an explicit sustainable investment objective, the highest level of ambition. They must demonstrate that each investment contributes to a measurable climate or environmental objective.
In 2022, a "mass downgrade" occurred: faced with greenwashing risks and new regulatory requirements, hundreds of Article 9 funds were reclassified as Article 8. The funds that remained Article 9 in 2025 are those that passed this rigour test — they deserve your attention.
"French savings total more than 5,700 billion euros. If even 10% of this amount were directed towards truly green investments, it would represent 570 billion to finance the ecological transition."
— I4CE (Institute for Climate Economics), 2024 report
Green life insurance: an underestimated vehicle
Life insurance is the preferred savings product of the French, with 1,900 billion euros in outstanding assets. Since the Pacte law (2019), all life insurance contracts must offer at least one SRI-labelled unit-linked fund, one Greenfin-labelled fund, and one relating to the solidarity economy.
The problem: these options often exist, but bank advisors do not mention them spontaneously. You need to ask for them explicitly.
Climate fintechs and project savings
A new segment of players offers savings products directly linked to concrete climate projects. Among the noteworthy initiatives:
- Helios and OnlyOne: neobanks that display the climate impact of your savings in real time.
- Lita.co: an impact investment platform, accessible from 100 euros.
- Enerfip: specialising in crowdfunding for renewable energy in France.
For a full comparison of ethical banks available in France, our article comparative guide to ethical banks 2025 will give you all the keys to choosing.
Green finance pitfalls to avoid
Green finance is unfortunately also a hunting ground for greenwashing. Some warning signs:
- Vague claims: "responsible", "sustainable", "green" without labels or precise criteria are red flags.
- No impact reporting: a truly green fund publishes an annual report detailing the projects financed and their measured impacts.
- Confusing exclusion with positive impact: not investing in oil is good. Actively financing renewable energy is better.
- High management fees: some green funds charge management fees above 2% per year without justification — ESG ETFs often offer a better alternative at lower cost.
Your 5-step action plan
For savings aligned with your climate values, here are the steps to follow:
- Max out your LDDS up to the 12,000 euro cap.
- Check your life insurance: ask your advisor to move part of your savings into Greenfin-labelled unit-linked funds.
- Explore crowdfunding for renewable energy: start with 100 to 500 euros to test the concept.
- Select SFDR Article 9 funds for your stock market investments.
- Challenge your main bank: if it finances fossil fuels without a credible phase-out commitment, consider an ethical alternative.
To go further on the links between finance and ecology, discover our full article on green finance: 7 ways to make your money more ecological.
Your savings are a daily vote for the world you want to build. It is time to make sure they vote in the right direction.