Do you have to sacrifice performance if you want to invest ethically or can you get a reasonable return?

by John Ditchfield of Barchester Green Investment

It’s still commonly believed that ethical funds are likely to underperform against other funds which are similar in terms of the sector they invest in, but don’t restrict or screen out companies.
Surely, says the sceptic, in the brutal and even slightly immoral world of investing, “ethics” has little of no real place? CAn you really get a reasonable return by investing ethically?

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Green or environmental investing is becoming more popular, but what does it involve?

There’s been a sharp rise in interest in the number of rooftop solar panels being installed on homes across the UK (thanks to the government’s guaranteed payments). But it’s not the only way you may be able to make money from renewable energy. You can also put money into ‘environmental’ or green funds. But it's not without its risks (an American solar panel maker called Solyndra filed for bankruptcy yesterday). So what should you look for?

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Figures show that £7 billion has been invested in ethical and green funds. Where do you go for advice if you want your money to make a difference?

Checked 2nd January 2012

Recently I read an article where an expert recommended investing in a machine gun manufacturer. Apparently, making machine guns is a profitable business. But many thousands of investors would rather their money wasn't invested in arms manufacturers or would prefer to support sustainable companies. And women are more likely to think this way than men. But how do you find a financial adviser who specialises in ethical or sustainable investments as opposed to one who's just jumped on the ‘green’ bandwagon?

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