2010 HIGHLIGHTS
NEIW supporters spread the word by organising events, launching new products and research. Over 320 financial advisers actively engaged with NEIW and more than 35 events were held in 11 towns and cities across the UK and Ireland. Widespread press coverage raised awareness of green and ethical investing among consumers, financial advisors, and charities.
CELEBRATING NEIW AT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
L-R: Penny Shepherd, UKSIF, Barry Clavin, The Co-operative Financial Services, Hugh Bailey MP, Lord Wei, Philip Mawer, Ecclesiastical Investment Management
Lord Wei, the UK Government’s adviser on the Big Society, spoke at a reception celebrating NEIW.
At the event hosted by Hugh Bayley, MP for York, UKSIF called on the Government to introduce a Green ISA allowance as well as tax breaks for those investing in local community organisations at the next Budget in March 2011. Read the press release.
NEIW 2010 ACTION GUIDE FOR CHURCHES LAUNCHES IN LONDON
NEIW10 launched its Action Guide for Churches at an evening event in London hosted by Just Share. ‘Investing in a sustainable future – the role of faith’ included a panel discussion focusing on how Christians and their church organisations can make a positive difference through their investment decisions.
Panellists included Church Commissioner Gavin Oldham, Rev Raymond Singh - Vice Chair of ECCR, Barry Clavin from the Co-operative, and Helen Wildsmith, Head of Ethical and Responsible Investment at CCLA.
The ‘Action Guide for Churches’ was sponsored by CCLA Investment Management as part of NEIW2010.
Download the Guide: NEIW Church Action Guide 2010.pdf
NEW GUIDE ENCOURAGES ADVISERS TO GET INVOLVED IN NEIW
The ‘Action Guide for Financial Advisers’, aimed to encourage advisers to participate in NEIW, was launched at an event hosted by Henderson Global Investors. The guide provides practical information on how advisers can engage with clients on green and ethical investment options during NEIW.
Download the Guide: NEIW Action Guide for Financial Advisers.pdf
NEW RESEARCH: 2010s TO BECOME DECADE OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Research released as part of NEIW revealed that increasing numbers of people want to use their money to create a sustainable future. The study, conducted by YouGov, showed that savers and investors are increasingly adopting a new attitude of individual responsibility in the wake of banking and environmental crises. Read more.
FUNDRAISING EVENT PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON ETHICAL INVESTMENTS
A Dragons’ Den-style event, organised by Alan Kirkham of Investing Ethically, took place in Norwich. With Stewart White from BBC’s Look East as Chairman of the Judges, three fund managers presented their ethical portfolios to more than 60 guests, who each had a notional £10,000 to invest in the ethical fund of their choice.
The winner was the Cochabamba Project which supports a unique forest restoration project involving smallholders in the Bolivian Amazon. The event raised in excess of £1,200 for the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture. Read more about the event.
BARCHESTER GREEN INVESTMENT HOLDS NEIW 2010 SESSION
NEIW also saw Barchester Green Investment hold a session entitled ‘What is a Sustainable Investment?’ in London. Speakers included Clare Brook of WHEB Asset Management, James Vaccaro from Triodos Bank, Sarah Pennells, editor of savvywoman.co.uk, and Peter Kindersley, founder of Neal’s Yard Remedies.
‘NEWSNIGHT’ EVENT FOR FINANCIAL ADVISERS AND PROFESSIONAL INVESTORS
In conjunction with Guinness Asset Management, WHEB Asset Management hosted an afternoon tea ‘Newsnight’ event in London. In a similar format to the well-known BBC2 programme, an independent third party chair put forward questions focusing on sustainable investment to one fund manager from the Guinness Alternative Energy Fund and one from the WHEB Sustainability Fund.
LEEDS HOSTS ETHICAL INVESTMENT SEMINAR
‘The Value of Ethical Investments’, hosted by Financial Leeds and the Yorkshire IFA Forum, covered topics such as the potential value of ethical investments and the challenges that they present, and included a presentation from Mark Parry of F&C and a Q&A session facilitated by Geoff Mills from Rayner Spencer Mills.
THIRD ANNUAL UK SOCIAL INVESTMENT CONFERENCE HELD IN LONDON
As part of NEIW and Global Entrepreneurship Week, Good Deals 2010 brought together some of the most prominent figures in sustainable and responsible investment. The two-day event provided a platform to allow innovative investors and social entrepreneurs to ‘get good deals done’.
Speakers included Sir Ronald Cohen - Chairman of Bridges Ventures and The Portland Trust, Nick O’Donohoe – Global Head of Research at JP Morgan, Lord Nat Wei, Mike Barry - Head of Sustainability at Marks & Spencer, and Toby Eccles of Social Finance. Read more about the event.