Ethical and sustainable funds are still investing in tobacco and environmentally damaging extractive companies, the Castlefield Winners and Spinners report has revealed.
The report found there are some funds that match the expectations of investors, such as Rathbones, Lion Trust and WHEB. The report describes them as delivering transparency, credible green strategies and strong financial returns.
However, the report also named several funds it believes are failing to align themselves with customer expectations on ethical standards.
Castlefield’s annual analysis of UK ethical and environmental funds calls the former “winners” and those failing the tests as “spinners” – lightweight ethical and environmental funds with investment in companies such as British American Tobacco and EOG Resources.
Castlefield's partner Olivia Bowen said: “Some of these funds give ethical and sustainable investing a bad name and are in danger of watering down the meaning of responsible investment.”
The ranking criteria for the funds are based on publicly available data and cover research quality, clarity and transparency of purpose, long-term commitment to the stated aims and fund performance.
Castlefield is a specialist in responsible investment in the UK with more than £500m under management.
Latest News
-
Rise in employer NICs threatens closure for half of charities
-
Charities supporting three times as many people with essential aid, research finds
-
Pilotlight announces CEO change
-
Research finds over one third of UK adults made an in-memory donation in the past year
-
New guide launched to support charity CEOs in crucial first 100 days
-
Regulator disqualifies Nottingham charity trustee over inflammatory sermon
Charity Times video Q&A: In conversation with Hilda Hayo, CEO of Dementia UK
Charity Times editor, Lauren Weymouth, is joined by Dementia UK CEO, Hilda Hayo to discuss why the charity receives such high workplace satisfaction results, what a positive working culture looks like and the importance of lived experience among staff. The pair talk about challenges facing the charity, the impact felt by the pandemic and how it's striving to overcome obstacles and continue to be a highly impactful organisation for anybody affected by dementia.
Charity Times Awards 2023
Mitigating risk and reducing claims
The cost-of-living crisis is impacting charities in a number of ways, including the risks they take. Endsleigh Insurance’s* senior risk management consultant Scott Crichton joins Charity Times to discuss the ramifications of prioritising certain types of risk over others, the financial implications risk can have if not managed properly, and tips for charities to help manage those risks.
* Coming soon… Howden, the new name for Endsleigh.
* Coming soon… Howden, the new name for Endsleigh.
Better Society
© 2021 Perspective Publishing Privacy & Cookies
Recent Stories