NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Responsible investing has undergone a radical shift, investors are demanding more of their financial advisors, and regulators are struggling to keep up, say experts.

1. The sustainable investment market is small but growing
John Ditchfield, director and adviser at Barchester Green Investment, says only £2bn of the £11bn in ethical funds “would match the general description of sustainable investment”. Putting that into context, ethical funds are just a fraction of the £4.5tn investment industry. But Phil Caroe, chief operating officer of Allia, the social profit society, says the market is growing with developments like the launch of Threadneedle and Big Issue Invest’s Social Bond Fund.