There is £2.6 trillion of investments within pension funds in the UK. Rather like your own consumption, your pension fund leaves a carbon footprint. The footprint from the average pension fund is 26 tonnes per year, a much greater impact than heating your house, barbecuing, or running a bath. The average consumer in the UK leaves a carbon footprint of 13 tonnes per year. *
By looking to invest your pension money in a sustainable, ethical, or socially responsible way you can reduce your footprint 21 x (times)* more than giving up flying e.g., holidays to the Med, turning Vegan or switching energy supplier. If you do not have an investible pension fund but have surplus cash, a portfolio of ISAs or collectives (unit trust and OEICs) then equally these funds can adopt a Socially Responsible (SRI) approach.
At Wingate we have a robust SRI investment process. We can accommodate ethical or exclusion portfolios, as an example looking to avoid tobacco, weapons, gambling etc. We can help build sustainable portfolios where we look invest through companies seeking to use resources wisely e.g., alternative energy sources and electric technologies. Or an Impact approach with the intention of generating a measurable, social, or environmental impact alongside a financial return. It is worthwhile noting that an SRI approach to investing will not necessarily affect the investment returns and need not be anymore expensive than a conventional actively manged portfolio.
If you want to be a part of the £2.6 trillion looking to protect the future wellbeing of our planet with a more sustainable approach to investing, please get in contact with us at Wingate.
* www.carbonindependent.org
** makemymoneymatter.co.uk
