Funds in focus August 2010
Environmentally and socially responsible investments
Investors see great merit in having their investment philosophy aligned with their own values. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) and ethical screening are becoming increasingly prominent themes in investing. Ethical investments aim to ensure that your money is invested in companies that do not cause significant social or environmental damage in the course of their operations, and gives you an in-road into helping shape the society’s future.
The socially responsible investment sector currently has the smallest segment of the investment market, but it is one of the fastest growing.
Key drivers of growth in ethical investing include:
- The growth is core services such as power, water, waste and recycling.
- Demand for these core services and for a reduced impact on the environment is growing, because of population growth and increasing wealth.
- As the world continues to use and deplete its natural resources, there is increasing pressure on communities to adopt solutions to increase efficiency and decrease waste.
- A fourth factor is the recognition of climate change and consequent regulatory regimes.
Ethical investing means supporting companies that are environmentally and socially responsible. By investing ethically, your money will avoid companies that pollute, create unnecessary greenhouse emissions, destroy valuable environments, waste resources or create other negative environmental impacts. It also means your money will not support socially irresponsible companies, for example, companies that employ child labour.
Ethical and socially responsible funds on our menu
Information about our Funds in Focus
This information does not take into account your individual investment objectives, financial situation or investment needs and you should assess whether this information is relevant and appropriate to your individual circumstances before making any investment decision. Rabobank and its officers, agents, representatives and employees accept no responsibility for any reliance on this information or conclusions reached by you in using this information.