Brits profess desire to invest ethically

More than two thirds of the British public consider their outlook on life to be either very or fairly green and ethical, new research has discovered.

The YouGov poll, conducted on behalf of National Ethical Investment Week (NEIW), also found that nearly half (49%) of people with savings and investments would like to use their money to make a difference.

However, despite the professed good intentions, only 8% of investors have made the effort to put their money into a green or ethical fund or savings account.

Some 44% of those polled said the financial services industry needs to work much harder to provide clear evidence of the impacts of green and ethical investments.

Penny Shepherd, chief executive of the UK sustainable investment and finance association (UKSIF), said: “The financial services industry must become more transparent and clearly show the green and ethical impact of investments.

“Our research shows this will attract significant further money into green and ethical investments.”

NEIW, which runs from 8-14 November, aims to help people bridge the ‘green gap’ between their ethical intentions and their actions by making them more aware of how they can invest money ethically.

“There are some simple steps consumers can take to apply their ethical principles to their pension, ISA or other investments,” Shepherd said.

“Green and ethical investments provide a great way to make money and make a difference.”

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