15 socially responsible investing ideas for your ISA February 8, 2021 Sustainable investment funds have exploded in popularity in the last few years, now holding more than $1 trillion of investors’ cash as the ‘Blue Planet effect’ made people rethink the impact of their choices on the planet. These funds have also proven themselves against their rivals – over the last 15 years, ethical funds have [...]
More young people are turning to ISAs to invest, but also to have impact April 6, 2021 The impact of the global pandemic, big political changes, and social justice movements on day-to-day life in the past 12 months has been substantial. One of the key areas affected has been people’s personal finances, from loss of income on one hand, to increased savings from less leisure spending on the other. So how have [...]
Tickr: We don’t want to be a socks and sandals, preachy investment platform February 10, 2021 Everyone has something to say about ESG or “impact” investing these days. It has become the go-to buzzword for corporate firms and investment platforms. But unlike platforms that have added socially responsible features, London-based Tickr launched with a sole purpose of “impact investing”. Founded in 2018, Tickr aims to demystify sustainable investing and only offers [...]
Zedify: Meet the firm trying to make our city streets greener February 15, 2021 The UK Government declared a Climate Emergency in the summer of 2019. There is no single definition of what action this mandates, but MPs have pledged to reduce the country’s carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. Whilst not the ‘carbon neutral by 2030’ goal sought by campaigners such as Extinction Rebellion, it is [...]
The Boohoo scandal shouldn’t shock anyone — modern slavery is a pandemic July 21, 2020 No brand today should be “shocked and appalled” at what happens in its own supply chain, as fast fashion brand Boohoo recently claimed to be. To know so little about the sourcing, processes and practices involved in creating a product you sell should be a crime itself. Tales of UK-based sweat shops and modern slavery [...]
Sustainability investing: what does the future look like? January 5, 2021 ‘Future of Sustainability in Investment Management: From Ideas to Reality’ is a newly published CFA Institute report. The 60-page publication was informed by the views of more than 7,000 industry participants, including 3,500+ retail investors, 920+ asset owners and 3,050+ investment practitioners. Research included virtual roundtables across 31 markets. Here we summarise its findings. The [...]
Climate Progress Dashboard: Will a Biden Paris U-turn inspire action? December 9, 2020 The latest update to our Climate Progress Dashboard suggests the current pace of change will result in temperatures rising by 3.8°C above pre-industrial levels. The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) would have taken place in Glasgow, Scotland, this month if it was not for the coronavirus pandemic. Global leaders were expected to [...]
No more posturing — impact matters more than dogma in the fight against climate change July 15, 2020 “As the number of products that claim to be linked to firms’ sustainability performance increases, we need to be careful to ensure that investors do not end up buying products that are marketed as sustainable when in reality they are not”. That’s the view of Steven Maijoor, chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority. [...]
An A-Z of sustainability terms for investors May 9, 2022 Sustainability, once a fringe consideration, has become core for many investors. Impacts on the planet – such as climate change and biodiversity loss – and on people – for example through the treatment of workers – are in the news every day. We believe companies and countries that adapt to such issues and challenges should thrive. [...]
Private equity and ESG: moving beyond box-ticking? October 13, 2020 Ahead of the CFA Institute European Investment Conference (which is open to CFA Institute members and non-members) on 16-17 November 2020 we analyse the private equity industry’s so far patchy engagement with ESG investing. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing has become mainstream, with the global pool of exchange-traded fund (ETF) assets under management [...]