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Green Marketing Resources
Our lifestyle leaves and imprint on the environment and other people in the world, in more ways than we can begin to contemplate, but it is worth halting, for at least a moment, to examine more closely what we do with our money. Our society is so completely dependant on the interchange of money that it becomes easy to take it for granted. Yet many people have staunch convictions that they act upon in other areas of their lives, doubtless unaware that their respectable income is working against those very principles.
Our savings in banks and the money we put into pensions and investments all add up to fuel the global economy. However, most of the time without us even knowing it, this can mean we are directly financing activities that we may not agree with. If you are concerned about the destruction of rain forests would you put your money into a company that makes furniture from tropical hardwood? If you are a vegetarian would you want to finance companies that experiment on animals? If you are worried about climate change, would you want to invest in oil companies? Unfortunately when we put money into most bank accounts and pension and investment funds this is what happens.
However there are some alternatives, from ethical bank accounts to socially responsible and ethical investments. A study by the New Economics Foundation and the Co-Operative Bank found that market for ethical investments and banking was valued at around £7.8bn in 2000 and growing at 20% a year, compared with just 2% in the same sectors in the overall economy. Although this still accounts for only a small percentage of total investing in the economy it is now easier than ever before to find ethical ways to bank and to invest money.
Here we give you a few links to further resources.
- First Sustainable
First Sustainable uses powerful social screening tools together with sound asset allocation practices. Whether your motivations are political, religious, social, or moral, we can help you put build your portfolio to reflect your social values. - Ceres
Ceres (pronounced "series") is a national network of investors, environmental organizations and other public interest groups working with companies and investors to address sustainability challenges such as global climate change.