Ethical Independent Financial Adviser Based in Kings Lynn, Norfolk UK

The terms ethical, green, sustainable or socially responsible investing all describe an investment strategy which seeks to maximize both financial return and social good, sometimes called ‘profit with principle.’ Whatever your financial goals may be; if you adopt an ethical approach you can often combine your personal values and concerns with your financial decisions.

Arms manufacture, strip mining, unsustainable forestry, poor environmental management, exploitation of the third world, unnecessary animal testing – these are just a few of the economic activities which you might not want to be associated with…

…however; the reality is that the money in your pension fund or your investments could already be invested in companies and countries engaged in these types of activity.

Public awareness of these issues is growing; and consumers are responding by switching to products and services which are perceived as being ethical or green or are provided in a more sustainable way. People like you are showing their preference for businesses which are actively engaged in meeting social and environmental challenges; and the favourable publicity those businesses receive is helping them to continue to grow and become more profitable.

Investment professionals are also turning towards ethical and green investments and are finding no shortage of investment opportunities. Clean energy, environmental services, healthcare, social property, sustainable transport and water management are just a few of the investment themes being followed

So why not use my help, guidance and experience to extend your ethical, green and socially responsible values to include your pension, your savings and your investments?

Whether or not you have deeply held personal values, a clear case is emerging for A Better Way?, and many people now choose to hold at least one ethical fund in their ISA or pension plan just because of their performance. Some go much further and opt to build their entire investment portfolio based a ‘profit with principle’ approach.

According to EIRIS, an independent research group for ethical investors, by the end of 2008, £6.8bn was invested in Britain‘s green and ethical retail funds.

With well over a hundred ethical funds to choose from, there is sufficient choice to accommodate a whole range of personal values as well as individual investment objectives. For example, if your main concerns are global warming and environmental degradation you can avoid having your money invested in companies with a poor track record on pollution or which damage the environment, and at the same time consider including businesses that actively support green initiatives. In addition, you may want to consider investments which promote sustainable forestry or alternative energy as part of your strategy.

Ethical concerns generally fall into the three broad categories of environment, human welfare and animal welfare and you can take a whole range of issues into consideration to a greater or lesser extent.

The following is by no means an exhaustive list:

• Animal welfare: animal testing, the fur trade, intensive farming.
• Corporate behaviour: attitudes to a range of social, environmental and ethical risks.
• Developing countries: exploitation of natural resources, third world debt, access to medicines, tobacco marketing, breast milk substitutes.
• Environment: chemicals, climate change,  greenhouse gases, mining and quarrying, nuclear power, sustainable timber, pollution, bio diversity, genetic engineering.
• Human rights: oppressive regimes.
• Military: arms trade and manufacture.
• People: equal opportunities, community, health and safety, working conditions in developing countries, child labour, trade unions, training and development.
• Alcohol, gambling, pornography, tobacco.

Ethical investment researchers screen a wide range of companies from continental Europe, America and Asia, and it is now possible for you to assemble an international investment portfolio based purely on social and ethical credentials.

You can choose from a wide range of ethical investment funds with different styles and ethical criteria. Some may seek to exclude companies engaged in undesirable activities and at the same time select companies which are rated highly on a range of social, environmental and ethical criteria. Some seek out firms which centre their attention on in improving the planet's environment, such as wind and solar power companies, and others go even further, using their voting powers to actively encourage companies to adopt social and environmental best practices.

As the debate over global warming and other such topics evolves further, it seems likely that the investing public will increasingly want to reflect these issues in their investment choices.

If you would like more information about how ethical, green and socially responsible investment could be a part of your financial planning solutions, please contact Kevin Mann at Ethical IFA.