Future Council

ING and Future Council: a yellow bus, eight kids, and a big question about sustainability

You’ve probably seen a coming-of-age road trip movie before. But what if the stars in it were eight kids, the vehicle a bright yellow school bus named the Bumblebus, and their mission was to challenge global business leaders on sustainability?

Welcome to Future Council, a documentary that is as inspiring as it is thought-provoking. ING is proud to have worked together with the director on this groundbreaking film and to be part of the Future Council initiative.

What is Future Council

Future Council is a feature-length documentary that follows curious and motivated children as they travel across Europe. Their goal? To ask tough questions about the role climate change plays in the future of major companies. Along the way, they meet with CEOs, experts, and changemakers, including ING’s CEO, Steven van Rijswijk.

“What we want to do is to move to a much greener environment and a much greener economy. On the one hand finance green projects, but on the other hand we also must work with fossil fuel companies to make their processes better, to become greener. So, we push it in the direction but can’t just do it overnight. That takes time.”- Steven van Rijswijk in the Future Council.

Through the lens of young minds who are not afraid to speak truth to power, the film doesn’t shy away from complexity. It dives into the dilemmas and trade-offs that come with the sustainable transition.

Beyond the film: Future Council NGO

The documentary has sparked more than just conversation. It has inspired action. A new not-for-profit organisation, Future Council Ltd, has been established to support this child-led movement. Its mission is to connect with businesses to co-design regenerative products, share trusted knowledge, and create clear paths for climate action.

It’s a growing global community, and ING is proud to be part of the journey. Would you also like your company to be part of the Future Council, contact Future Council to sign up!

Where can I watch it?

The full film has already made waves at the United Nations and has been released in cinemas in Australia, with more global releases to follow throughout 2025 and 2026.


Society is transitioning to a low-carbon economy. So are our clients, and so is ING. We finance a lot of sustainable activities, but we still finance more that’s not. See how we’re progressing on our climate approach.