Market Forces is an Australian-based organisation that advocates for environmental sustainability by targeting the financial sector’s role in contributing to climate change. Its core focus is to expose the financial links between banks, superannuation funds, insurance companies and environmentally damaging industries, particularly the fossil fuel sector.
The organisation seeks to shift investment and lending practices away from coal, oil and gas, aligning financial flows with climate targets set under the Paris Agreement. Its goals include ending the expansion of fossil fuel projects, pushing for divestment from existing high-emissions assets, and promoting greater accountability and transparency across the financial system.
Market Forces operates as an affiliate project of Friends of the Earth Australia and relies on research, campaigns and shareholder engagement to effect change. It encourages public participation by equipping individuals and communities with tools to pressure financial institutions and advocate for climate-aligned investment strategies.
The organisation provides detailed research on banks’ and superannuation funds’ exposure to fossil fuels, tracks investments and lending to high-carbon projects, and assesses corporate climate commitments. It also maintains publicly accessible databases and scorecards that compare the climate performance of major financial institutions. These resources are designed to support individuals in making informed decisions about where to bank or invest.
Through its campaigning, Market Forces engages directly with companies via shareholder resolutions, especially on issues of climate risk and disclosure. It also works to highlight greenwashing practices and hold institutions accountable when public commitments do not align with their financial activities.
By linking finance with environmental responsibility, Market Forces plays a role in the broader sustainable finance movement. Its work supports the redirection of capital towards sectors and projects that contribute to a low-carbon future, aiming to create systemic change in how financial decisions impact the environment.
