NEIW CALLS FOR GREEN AND ETHICAL QUESTIONS IN ALL FACT FINDS
London, 30 October 2009 – A large majority of Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) now advise some of their clients on ethical investment, according to recent research. As attitudes towards the environment change, increasing numbers of clients want to include a green and ethical dimension to their investments. As part of National Ethical Investment Week, UKSIF is urging the profession to facilitate this by changing the fact find process to include questions on clients’ green interests as standard. National Ethical Investment Week runs from 8 -14 November.
Commissioned by National Ethical Investment Week and the Association of Independent Financial Advisers (AIFA), research from NMG reveals that 87 percent of IFAs now advise on green and ethical investment. This is a significant increase compared to just 70 percent in 2008. However, the majority of those asked said that although they give advice in this area, it was rare to do so (52 percent).
Penny Shepherd MBE, chief executive of UKSIF, said:
“I’m really encouraged that so many more IFAs are now advising on green and ethical investment, but this needs to be a part of their normal advice process if they are to help all interested clients. Today, you know where your supermarket food comes; how it was raised or grown and can make a choice based on that information. Unfortunately, people are not currently being offered the same transparency and choice as standard with financial advice.
“You only have to read the headlines about climate change and the forthcoming Copenhagen Summit, to understand that this issue concerns and affects us all. Advisers have a real opportunity to add value for a large number of their clients by gauging their attitudes towards green and ethical issues and helping them plan and invest accordingly.”
As part of National Ethical Investment Week a range of information is available for advisers wishing to deepen their knowledge of green and ethical investing. This includes a free online training course designed specifically for financial advisers available at www.neiw.org.
A series of seminars for advisers, being held in partnership with AIFA, will also take place as part of the second National Ethical Investment Week. The events in London and Southampton will hear from experts in green and ethical investment and discuss how advisers can help their clients.
Contact: Tony Cox/Simon Maule/Keith Brookbank, Linstock Communications, tel: 020 7089 2080
neiw@linstockcommunications.com
Notes to Editors
About National Ethical Investment Week
National Ethical Investment Week (NEIW), the campaign to raise awareness of green and ethical investment options, is coordinated by UKSIF – the sustainable investment and finance association, and sponsored by Aviva Investors, CCLA Investment Management, The Cooperative Financial Services and Henderson New Star. It is supported by the Association of Independent Financial Advisers (AIFA). For more information, visit www.neiw.org.
About UKSIF
UKSIF, the sustainable investment and finance association, promotes responsible investment and other forms of finance that support sustainable economic development, enhance quality of life and safeguard the environment. It also seeks to ensure that individual and institutional investors can reflect their values in their investments. Founded in 1991, it has over 200 members including financial advisers, asset managers, research providers, pension funds, banks and non-governmental organisations. For more info, visit www.uksif.org.
