Neon Green: Analysis of Environmental Commitment, between Promises and Reality – Responsible Assessment in 2025

Plant a tree every time you make a purchase? This innovative concept is the promise of Neon Green, Neon’s “green” account. Launching in 2021, the Zurich-based neobank aims to turn our daily spending into concrete action for the climate. But does this approach really deliver on its promises?

In this article, we’ll answer the questions you’re probably asking yourself:

• Is Neon Green’s tree-planting program really effective in the fight against climate change?
• What are the practical advantages and disadvantages of a Neon Green account on a day-to-day basis?
• How does Neon Green compare with other Swiss green neobanks?
• Is this a serious choice for combining financial management and environmental impact?

The tree-planting program

• Principle: 1 tree planted for every CHF 500 spent
• Result: over 2 million trees planted since launch
• Estimated impact: offsetting 600,000 tonnes of CO2 over the lifetime of the trees

Partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects

• Tree planting in Haiti and Madagascar
• Supporting the local economy by employing local workers

Limits of the approach

• Planting trees is no miracle solution to climate change
• Time required for significant CO2 absorption
• The challenge of sustaining newly planted forests

Deposit isolation strategy

• Customers’ money is not used to finance projects that are potentially harmful to the environment.
• Real impact difficult to quantify

Promo Code

Use promo code VSWH3C when opening your account.

Free account ✔︎

Open an account

A bank account that plants trees

• Monthly fee: CHF 5
• 1 tree planted for every CHF 500 spent
• Annual cost: CHF 60 (equivalent to 12 trees planted)

A wooden bank card with a one-off fee of CHF 20.

• Material: Cherry wood
• Reduction in plastic use: 80%.
• Question: What is the environmental impact of producing these cards?

A free recycled plastic bank card

Recyclable and free, yes, but recycled plastic doesn’t degrade naturally like wood, which always poses challenges at the end of the product’s life.

Extended warranty

• 3-year extension on electronic devices purchased with the card
• Objective: Reduce electronic waste
• Question: Are customers really using this extension?

Limited sustainable investment options

• Partnership with Inyova for sustainable investment options
• Limited offering compared with other specialist neobanks

Detailed quarterly certificates

• Exact number of trees planted
• Publicly available on the Neon website

A quantifiable and verified impact

• Estimate: 1 tree = 300 kg of CO2 absorbed over its lifetime
• Verified by Eden Reforestation Projects

Precise location and long-term monitoring

The plantation sites “Ankarafantsika 3” in Madagascar and “Tudor Creek” in Kenya are regularly monitored every 6 months for at least 3 years after the end of the project. Neon organizes live Instagram lives from the plantations to document the projects and make them as concrete as possible.

Neon’s carbon emissions and offsetting

• Calculating the company’s carbon footprint since 2020
• Calculation of product carbon footprint for all accounts since 2021
• Offsetting through carbon offset projects with myclimate

Promo Code

Use promo code VSWH3C when opening your account.

Free account ✔︎

Open an account

The user interface

Sleek and intuitive, navigation between functions is very fluid.

Engaging features

• Forest levels” system
• Personal dashboard to track environmental impact

Account opening process

• Fully online
• Fast and easy

Customer support

Email and telephone during office hours

In-app chat

To open a Neon Green account, there are two options:

If you already have an account with Neon, you can simply subscribe to the option directly in the app.

If you don’t have a Neon account yet, use our code and refer to the mini step-by-step guide available here.

Promo Code

Use promo code VSWH3C when opening your account.

Free account ✔︎

Open an account

Wondering how Neon Green compares to other ethical neo-banks in Switzerland?

Our comparison of sustainable banks in Switzerland will give you lots of answers.

Discover :

• How Neon Green’s tree-planting program stands out from the initiatives of its competitors.
• The strengths and limitations of Neon Green’s ecological approach.
• Which neo-bank best matches your financial and environmental objectives.

Go to the comparison at heyneo.ch/sustainable-banking…

Or go directly to:
The sustainable review of Yuh, Zak Plus, Radicant to compare.

What do you think of Neon Green?

• Does the app. Neon Green app make responsible investing easier for you?
• The feature you like best or would like to improve?
• Does Neon Green help you better understand the impact of your consumption?
• Did you go green overnight by installing Neon Green?
  (If so, please contact Neo privately).

Share your feedback with all Neo’s friends 😈