Half of public would accept lower ethical returns

In an F&C/OnePoll study of 2,000 UK residents, 55% are prepared to invest ethically in the belief they would have to sacrifice returns to conventional investments. Of those prepared to invest ethically, 44% would stick by the investment if it delivered a return 2% lower than mainstream funds, while 26% would keep the faith even at 5% below. F&C Investments director Jason Hollands says while many advisers are aware of the strong demand for ethical and green investments, many funds are only discussed at the request of the client. “Our research shows that some 45% of respondents believe ...