Think green, investors told

Category: Savings
Date: 11/11/2009

Investors have been urged to consider carefully whether their savings and pension accounts are being invested in companies which are both green and ethical.

Research conducted on behalf of National Ethical Investment Week showed that while 49% of all people with savings and investments would like to make money while making a difference, only 8% of savers actually held a green or ethical investment or savings product.

Calling climate change 'the ethical issue of our age,' Juliet Davenport, founder and CEO of Good Energy, said a major shift in investment towards renewable energy and other green projects was needed to help combat the problem.

"Anyone with funds to invest should ensure their money is being invested directly in companies which are addressing this head on," she added. "It's time for people to put their money where their mouth is. Renewable energy and clean-tech are exciting investment sectors with strong, long term growth potential. People need to realise they can make a difference and make money too."

The call to arms follows research from Friends Provident which revealed ethical investment continues to figure highly in investors' thinking, a quarter of a century after it was first introduced.

Nearly three quarters of investors agreed it was important that companies take social, ethical and environmental issues seriously, while over half believed ethical investing to be far more important today than it was 25 years ago.

Over half claimed to be prepared to take a lower return on their investments if it meant investing in firms that were socially responsible.

"Without a doubt, ethical issues are on Britons' minds today more than ever," said Trevor Matthews, chief executive officer at Friends Provident.

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