Guide to ethical investing - Times Money Mentor (2024)

Ethical investing is a broad concept that can mean different things to different people but essentially the aim is to make money while helping make the world a better place or, at least, no worse.

It rose to prominence in the years following the 2008 financial crisis and became very popular in the latter part of the last decade.

From environmental concerns to anti-war sentiment via vegan-friendly investments, there is a lot to cover. In this guide we break down exactly what it is and how you can go about it.

This article covers:

• What are ethical investments?
• How big is the ethical investing sector?
• What are the different ways to invest?
• How can I start investing ethically?
• How do I choose an ethical fund?
• How can you ensure you are investing ethically?
• What is the future of ethical investing?

What are ethical investments?

Ethical investments have a positive impact on the world while also aiming to make a profit. It means you invest without sacrificing your social, moral or religious principles.

Ethical investments focus on whether the underlying business is involved in matters such as climate change, animal testing, workers’ rights, tobacco, the arms industry and gambling.

If you are a vegan and want to ensure you don’t invest in anything that harms animals, check out our vegan investing Q&A.

At its simplest, ethical investing is about wanting investments to do more than make money, explained Rob Morgan from investment platform Charles Stanley Direct.

Can you invest ethically?

Yes, it’s now much easier too because there is a lot more choice in terms of ethical and sustainable investments than there were a decade ago.

But bear in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all definition of values. Ethical investing means different things to different people so there is no industry-standard approach.

Under the umbrella of ethical investing are:

• Socially responsible investing (SRI)
• Environmental, social and governance factors (ESG)
• Impact investing
• Sustainable investing

The range of labels isn’t necessarily helpful, said Morgan. “The bottom line is that you’re choosing investments that have a positive impact on the world.”

Do ethical funds underperform?

There is a common misconception that in order to invest ethically, you have to compromise on growth. There is no evidence that ethical funds underperform; in fact, a number consistently beat many of their non-ethically screened peers.

However, many do not. There’s a number of factors which influence the overall performance of all funds. With actively managed ethical funds, check:

• does the fund have a clear investment strategy
• the length of time the main fund manager has been in the role
• how this type of investing is viewed by the parent group

How big is the ethical investing sector?

Ethical investing has become a large part of the investing world. According to data from Bloomberg, ethically invested assets will hit $50 trillion by 2025, representing more than a third of the projected $140.5 trillion in total global assets under management.

In the UK alone there are at least 373funds that market themselves under an ethical label of some kind.

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What are the different ways to invest?

With so many new ethical investment products, there’s increasing choice for consumers about where their money goes.

You usually use an investment platform to buy shares or funds. See: the best investment platforms for beginners.

Once you have chosen the platform you want to use, there are usually a few different ways to invest ethically.

• Pick your own stocks

You could create your own ethical portfolio by buying shares or bonds yourself that you believe fit your own beliefs and values.

However, it can be time-consuming to pick them and keep track of their performance and green credentials, but it would result in a bespoke selection of investments that completely match your sense of what is ethical.

You might want to read our article on self-invested stocks & shares Isas.

• Investment funds

Another approach is to invest via an ethical fund from an asset management company, such as an actively managed mutual fund.

We explain: How to choose investment funds.

A fund manager will focus on screening out unethical companies or look at finding the best socially responsible investments.

Companies might be assessed on a number of factors, such as the diversity of their workforce, their transparency, or their carbon footprint.

We talk you through:

• Ethical ETFs

You could invest in a “passive” exchange-traded fund (ETF). An ETF is designed to replicate the performance of a stock marketindex.

ETFs and tracker funds are cheaper than active funds because an investor isn’t paying for the stock-picking skills of a fund manager to buy and sell investments.

Read our: Beginner’s guide to investing.

An ethical ETF will typically filter out those companies on an index that are involved in certain activities, such as weapons and tobacco.

It may also tilt the index to focus on investing in companies that perform well on ESG metrics or carbon footprint.

How can I start investing ethically?

Whether you choose to invest in a company directly by buying individual shares or through a fund will depend on a number of factors, including:

• Your confidence and experience with investing
• How long you intend to keep your money invested
• The size of your investment portfolio
• Your attitude to risk

What are the steps to invest ethically?

There are several things to consider, whichever option you take, each with their pros and cons.

Here are five tips to help you get started:

1. Understand your values

Figure out what you want to invest in and what ethical measures are important to you.

Are you happy backing a company that operates in an industry you don’t agree with? For example, would you feel comfortable investing in an oil company that is working on renewable energy?

Try to keep an open mind because in reality it will be very difficult to find a fund or company that ticks all your ethical and sustainable boxes.

Ask yourself whether you want to apply an ethical investment strategy across all your investments or just some areas.

2. Find out where your money is already invested

If you are already an investor, and chances are you will be if you have a pension, identify the ethical characteristics of each pot that you hold.

If they don’t align with your values, figure out whether you can change your investments or funds, or whether you need to look at changing your investment management provider.

3. Do your homework

You can choose to buy shares or funds yourself or use a ready-made portfolio, through Interactive Investor or Wealthify, for example.

Some people prefer this option because it’s less work, but you need to be happy with someone else making ethical choices for you.

Find out more about ready-made stocks & shares Isas.

Identify those holdings, funds, providers and professional services that offer to deliver on your ethical choices while meeting your broader financial objectives.

4. Know where you can invest

There are many ways to invest ethically while sheltering your investment from the taxman, including a stocks and shares Isa and your pension.

You can use a self-invested pension (Sipp) or personal pension to save for your future while investing in everyone else’s future.

5. Create a plan and stick to it

Think about how ethical investing will form part of a broader financial plan.

Ask yourself:

• How much you want to make? Be realistic here and read our guide to investing
• What do you want to use the money for? Retirement or a big purchase?
• What’s your timescale? If you are happy to leave your money for a decade or more, you could perhaps take more investment risk because you have more time to ride out any downturns in the price of your assets
• What’s your capacity for loss? In other words, how would you feel if your investments fell in value?

Once you know how you want to invest and where you can, implement that plan.

Independent financial advisers can look at your situation holistically and offer you financial advice tailored to your individual circ*mstances and values.

6. Monitor your investments regularly

Morgan at Charles Stanley Direct recommends that those who are selecting their own investments should review their performance every quarter.

If you have opted for a ready-made portfolio of funds managed for you by the provider, he suggests reviewing every year.

How do I choose an ethical fund?

There is no magic formula for working out whether a fund fits your requirements as a socially responsible investor.

But Morgan suggests a few factors to take into consideration. These can usually be established with a quick bit of research on the fund manager’s website.

1. Investment philosophy and process

The extent to which fund managers are fully embracing socially responsible investing principles can often be seen in its reporting.

A fund’s literature should at least tell you how environmental, social and governance factors are used and how they are embedded in the investment process. It should explain whether it takes an ESG investing approach or a different one.

If you get the sense that this is as an “add on”, there may be grounds for scepticism that it’s a box-ticking exercise rather than a key element of the investment approach.

On the other hand, if a fund produces impact assessments of portfolio holdings, this suggests that investing with a conscience is baked into the fund’s strategy.

2. Research and data

Looking at whether a fund relies on in-house or third-party ESG research can tell you a lot. In-house is generally better.

Ratings are helpful, but the scale of disagreement between different agencies shows that they should not necessarily be relied upon in isolation.

3. Policies

Fund managers should be voting on key issues at the annual meetings held by the companies they invest in.

If a fund manager is prepared to vote against management, this is a good indication as to whether they are genuinely aiming to engender change.

Many funds document how they have engaged with investee companies on their websites, which often provides useful insights into their own culture and view.

4. Signatories

Fund groups running socially responsible investments ought to be signatories of the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). This shows a public commitment to responsible investment.

Fund managers might also be signatories of the UK Stewardship Code 2020. This code establishes a benchmark for sustainable investment.

5. Transparency

People who want their money invested in a socially responsible way should be able to see a fund’s entire portfolio and not just the top ten holdings. That way, all the underlying companies can be checked.

6. Costs

As with any investment, you should always pay attention to the fees because these can erode your returns.

We explain more: The impact of fees on investment returns

What are the best ethical investments?

It all depends on your values as to what are the best investments.

As a starting point, you might want to look at Legal & General’s Future World fund. If you have a workplace pension with Nest, you might want to consider moving your money into its Ethical Fund.

If you’re looking for a ready-made portfolio, check out Interactive Investor or Wealthify.

How can you ensure you are investing ethically?

Care needs to be taken to ensure that what is promised by a business or ethical fund is delivered, particularly if you are investing over the long term.

There is always a danger that the more positive aspects of socially responsible investments can be over-hyped without addressing more harmful aspects, which is known as “greenwashing”.

While most companies offer some benefit to society such as providing jobs, this needs to be looked at in the round. For example, does the company offering employment treat its staff with dignity and respect? Are workers under age?

“It is misleading to focus solely on the positives,” said John David, head of the ethical investment firm Rathbone Greenbank Investments, “They have to be seen in context of the whole picture.”

Here’s a checklist:

• Make sure you know exactly where your money is being invested
• You also need to monitor the fund or company to ensure that those values and standards are maintained
• Note how a company’s ethical credentials are rated by agencies. For example, impact investing won’t necessarily exclude those sectors that cause harm but seeks out those businesses seeking to improve their standards (like an oil company working on renewable energy).

Currently, there is no official way to compare the ethical credentials of companies or funds.

“We await an industry kitemark or label,” said Morgan at Charles Stanley Direct. “In the meantime, it is a case of doing a bit of digging into the fund and its philosophy and process.”

The City regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, announced at the end of 2020 that it is looking at whether to introduce guiding principles to help firms with ESG product design and disclosure.

What is the future of ethical investing?

Traditionally, the focus of ethical investment funds and sustainable funds was more on the screening out of companies that produced products in conflict with an ethical investor’s values.

Fund managers and individual investors would often avoid investments in arms, alcohol or oil companies.

However, David believes the sector has “evolved” to positive screening.

So rather than just removing the companies that are unethical, it’s increasingly about choosing to invest in companies that are planning to make a positive impact.

Going forward…

Every investment manager that Times Money Mentor spoke to believes the industry is only going to continue to grow, driven by young people.

By 2025, millennials will make up 75% of the workforce, according to the professional services firm Deloitte. This means there could be a huge shift in pension investment as well as the wider spending power that accompanies this shift.

Rathbone’s David added: “Just as younger generations may have strong views on the brands that they favour, they are increasingly applying the same ethical considerations to their investments.”

That’s not to say older investors aren’t also looking in more detail at how their money is invested. Someone who has made a conscious decision to buy an electric car might start to wonder why they are investing in fossil fuels.

Research from the ethical bank Triodos in January 2021 found that almost 20m Brits plan to be more ethical with their money.

David added: “The sector will continue to evolve, with more mainstream responsible investment approaches sitting alongside pioneering impact investments.”

For more on investing with a conscience, and other investment trends, check out our Guide to Investment Trends 2021

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