Quick links:
► Site search
New:
Agents Login Click here
Socially Responsible Investment or ethical investment
· Socially responsible investments (SRI) -
· Social Impact Investment (SII) -
· Social Enterprise Investment (SEI) -
also collectively known as ethical investment, the strategy of focusing on the positive
social and/or ecological impact of a company, in addition to its financial return.
UK SRI market
In the UK the main SRI market is represented by the FTSE4Good index. This index measures the performance of companies on globally recognised corporate responsibility standards which cover the following categories:
· Environment – working towards environmental sustainability
· Social and stakeholder – developing positive relationships with stakeholders
· Human rights – up-
· Supply chain labour – ensuring good supply chain labour standards
· Countering bribery
For further information see Links to on the right hand side of this page
Joint Equity the ethical Company and ethical investment route
Joint Equity Ltd works with Mortgage Beaters Ltd to provide case studies & Illustrations to prospective Owner-
The content of this website is accurate to the best of our knowledge and for information only. We do not provide financial advice.
What is being ethical? We all have some idea of what it means to be ethical in our approach to others, to animals and to the environment. But what is ethical investing and can it work for you?
Ethical investment, often known as Socially Responsible Investment (SRI), can be confusing as there are so many shades of “green” funds available through unit trusts, open ended investment companies and investment trusts. Some funds are more environmentally friendly than others.
Companies also have different approaches to defining ethical. For example, British American Tobacco would not be classed as ethical by organisations such as Cancer Research. However, BAT has gone a long way to improve working conditions, with fairer wages and improving human rights issues in its overseas operations.
Many UK and global companies adopt strict disclosure policies, which means they are making information about their business practices publicly available. You can access this on websites or company literature.
However, not all companies do this and it can be difficult to get this information, let alone make an informed choice about investing in the company. Organisations such as Greenpeace, Amnesty International, the World Trade Organisation and EIRIS – the Ethical Investment Research Service – can furnish you with information or point you in the right direction.
Fund managers have different ideas about which companies would be the most socially responsible and ethical, while providing good returns. Managers can select their stocks in a variety of ways and this is something you should discuss with an IFA when trying to decide which fund would suit you best.
Negative Criteria
Some funds actively screen out companies listed on the UK or other
global stock markets that are involved in businesses such as tobacco production,
deforestation, the arms trade and animal testing. This is known as negative criteria.
Not all managers screen for the same things – a point you should discuss with your
IFA.
Positive Criteria
Other funds prefer to use positive criteria such as looking for
companies that produce things to help the environment, such as sustainable energy
or recycling companies.
Engagement
Other funds “engage” with companies by using the manager’s power as a
shareholder to push for changes to the way it deals with human rights, the environment
and corporate governance issues. This means managers will not screen against a good-
As an example, British Petroleum has gone a long way to clean up its act, which makes it one of the most ethical companies in its sector and therefore a suitable investment for many SRI managers.
| Search |
| Site Map |