Sales of ethical funds are at the highest level since the start of the credit crunch, according to new figures published this week. Statistics from the Investment Management Association (IMA) show total ethical investments of £98 million for the second quarter of 2010, an increased of £106 million compared to the -£8 million recorded for [...]
New Zealand’s government has been criticised for voting down a bill that would have seen state money invested ethically. New Zealand MP’s voted 63 votes to 58 against the Ethical Investment Bill, which would have required Crown Financial Institutes to invest their money ethically. Robert Howell, chief executive of New Zealand’s Council for Socially Responsible [...]
A new social enterprise to help people with autism find jobs has launched in Scotland. Specialisterne Scotland is set to recruit a dozen trainees with autism over the next six months. Those chosen for the programme will undertake four months training before being given jobs as software testers for major Scottish companies. These are jobs [...]
Eco-tycoon Dale Vince is poised to take over cash-strapped football club Forest Green, according to media speculation. Vince, 48, built his £85 million empire on wind power, making him Britain’s wealthiest green entrepreneur. He is understood to have met up with Forest Green’s executives, including chairman David Drew, operations director Colin Peake and manager Dave [...]
Despite the government’s rhetoric on big society, it has announced £11 million of spending cuts to the department responsible for social enterprise. The Office for Civil Society has had its 2010/11 budget cut to £136.9 million, down from £147.9 million. Nick Hurd, minister for civil society, said: “Every area of government is looking at reducing [...]
The Bangladeshi anti-poverty banker Muhammad Yunus is to feature in an episode of hit TV cartoon The Simpsons. Yunus, whose pioneering work on micro-finance earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, will appear in the TV show as a cartoon version of himself. The episode will focus on his micro-credit work in Bangladesh, which [...]
A former Supreme Court judge has launched a campaign to introduce Islamic banking and finance to India. Justice Krishna Iyer said Islamic finance has the potential to offer sustainable growth while reducing inequality. “Islamic finance has proven successful in poverty alleviation and promoting sustainable growth in many countries,” he said. “It is very relevant in [...]
A £3m fund designed to help social enterprises expand has closed after making only one investment in two years. Triodos, the bank operating the fund, said most social enterprises are not yet ready for large capital injections. “The recession is having an impact,” said Charles Middleton, Triodos UK managing direction. “But our experience was mainly [...]
BlueOrchard, the world’s biggest private sector investor in microfinance loans, has raised $195 million for a fund to help microfinance institutions (MFIs) expand and modernise. The private equity fund will buy minority stakes in MFIs to pay for their expansion and modernisation. BlueOrchard claims many MFIs need capital injections to improve their corporate governance and [...]
Over 90% of institutional investors want green investments in their portfolio, according to a new study. Research commissioned by the New Energy World Network (NEWN) found more than nine in ten private equity, pension, insurance and venture capital funds would like to have some exposure to renewable energy, clean technology, and sustainability-related investments. Two thirds [...]
India’s first microfinance institution (MFI) to issue public shares has announced its initial public offering (IPO) will open on 28 July. SKS Microfinance will announce the issue price on 26 July and is considering offering a discount to retail investors. The company plans raise Rs. 1,500cr ($320 million) from the IPO with the shares sold [...]
Mid-year figures from Charity Bank and Triodos Bank show both lenders are on track for a record year of lending. During the first six months of this year, Charity bank agreed £20.9 million of new loans. This is compared to a total of £22.9 million for the whole of 2009. Figures from Triodos show new [...]
Charities should encourage their supporters to donate online, Virgin Money Giving claimed this week, as online donations have the greatest Gift Aid take up. The government adds 28% to donations made with Gift Aid, so a donation of £1 becomes £1.28. Research in 2009 found donors who give online are more likely to fill in [...]
Australian Ethical Investments has announced plans to invest in ethically dubious energy firms with the aim of changing their business practices through shareholder activism. The Climate Advocacy Fund (CAF), launched today, will invest in big polluters with the aim of using shareholder influence to encourage firms to green themselves up. Companies will urged to rethink [...]
The Co-operative Financial Services and Ecclesiastical Investment Management were named yesterday as sponsors of the third annual National Ethical Investment Week (NEIW). NEIW 2010, on 7-13 November, is a series of events and other activities across the UK to raise awareness of green and ethical investment options. UKSIF, the sustainable investment association behind NEIW, said [...]
Savers could use their ISA funds to invest in social enterprise under the government’s plans for a Big Society Bank. Money invested in the Big Society ISAs would be used to build new schools, to rehabilitate criminals, and for other socially useful projects. The ISAs would provide a way for social enterprises to raise capital. [...]
George Osborne’s emergency budget “takes from the poor to give to the rich” according to campaigners for a fairer tax system. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has failed to hold banks responsible for the financial carnage they caused in the credit crunch and the subsequent recession, the Robin Hood Tax campaign said. ”The Chancellor called [...]
The small number of ethical funds with investments in BP are considering pulling out of the beleaguered oil supplier - two months after the biggest oil spill in history began on BP’s watch. BP is a ‘light green’ company, meaning ethical investors buy shares in the firm to encourage it, as shareholders, to behave in [...]
The Co-operative Group has announced a record dividend payment of £50 million after posting its highest ever profit in 2009. The five million members of the Co-operative Group will share in the £50.4 million payout, with an average payment of £9.88 per member. This is a 30% increase on last year’s dividend payment of £38.8 [...]
Ethical investors looking to put money into emerging market economies should avoid China, Egypt and Vietnam, the Ethical Investment Research Service (Eiris) has claimed. Research by the group found these three countries to be the worst performers in terms of Environmental, Social, and Governance indicators. The three best-performing emerging market countries were South Korea, Brazil, [...]
Rics: Housing market remains in the doldrums
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has today reported that the UK housing market remained weak in August with house prices falling further. According to the Institution, homeowners remain reluctant to put their properties up for sale, while buyers continue to struggle to secure a mortgage and remain uncertain about the economic climate. The [...]
CML: Mortgage lending edges higher in July
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has reported the number of loans for house purchase rose in July. According to the Council, there were 48,400 loans advanced for house purchase in the month – up by 1,000 from June’s figure but almost 7,000 lower when compared with July 2010. Commenting on today’s figures, Paul Smee, [...]
UK inflation edges higher in August
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) today announced Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) rose to annual rate of 4.5% last month from July’s rate of 4.4%. However, the figure was in line with analysts’ expectations. Higher inflation continues to be led by rising food costs but the main reason behind last month’s rise was a 5.1% [...]
Fresnillo down on silver prices
European equities markets were lower Monday on the possibility that Greece could default soon and on speculation that Moody’s Investors Service could cut its rating on several big banks with holdings tied to Greece. The FTSE 100 was down 1.63 percent to 5,129.62 in London, while the FTSE 250 dropped 1.65 percent to 9,983.75 as [...]
IFS warns of tough times for UK households
A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned that households will be squeezed for the next decade as they suffer from the harsh spending cuts introduced by the Government. It said households are suffering one of the worst attacks on their finances since the Second World War and that the impact of [...]
ICB final report recommends ring-fencing
The Independent Commission on Banking’s (ICB) final report has been published today and is recommending that UK banks should ring-fence their retail banking operations. According to the report, ring-fencing would protect banks from riskier investment banking divisions and would “make it easier and less costly to resolve banks that get into trouble”. The ICB, which [...]
Tullow Oil leads 100 in London
European equities markets were significantly lower Friday on an increased possibility that Greece could default on its debt as soon as this weekend, raising the concern level over the European region’s debt problems and ratcheting up worries that the economic recovery is faltering. Additionally, markets reacted to the resignation of European Central Bank board member [...]
SMMT: UK car sales rise in August
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) have revealed UK car sales saw their first rise in 14 months in August. According to the trade body, car sales rose by 7.3% in August compared with the same month in 2010, with sales of smaller cars rising by more than 30%. The Ford Fiesta remained [...]
Factory gate inflation higher than expected in August
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK producer output prices held steady in August – remaining at the highest annual rate since October 2008. According to the ONS, output prices (factory gate) annual inflation for all manufactured products held steady at July’s upwardly revised reading of 6.1% in August. The figures were [...]
US exports surge, Obama unveils jobs plan
The Commerce Department has revealed US exports hit an all-time high in July, while imports fell. According to official figures, exports surged 3.8% to $178 billion (£111 billion) after two months of declines. The rise in exports was attributed to strong overseas sales of manufactured goods, particularly to countries in Central and South America. Meanwhile, [...]
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