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Heroes of Ethical Investment - The Winners!

HJ Fantaskis | 11.10.12

Ahead of National Ethical Investment Week, representatives of the ethical and responsible finance sector gathered together at the Royal Society of Arts on yesterday evening to celebrate the very best (and the very worst) of responsible and ethical investment. The evening was hosted by Lucy Siegle (celebrated ethical journalist and broadcaster).

Barchester Green Investments' Heroes and Spinners Index of Ethical Investment 2012 is led by Director John Ditchfield, our Eco Hero, and has become one of the highlights of the ethical investment annual calendar. 

Barchester Green’s annual ranking of funds represents its view on the best and worst in the ethical and environmental sector. The ranking criteria for the funds are based on:

- publicly available data 
- cover research quality
- clarity and transparency of purpose
- long-term commitment to the stated aims
- fund performance

Here is Barchester Green's round up of the Heroes of Ethical Investment:

The Winners

Cheviot Asset Management – Performance Award

Cheviot Climate Assets Fund is a well-designed and well-run investment product suitable for a wide range of clients seeking to invest in a responsible manner. The fund has demonstrated strong performance both in terms of delivering good financial returns and demonstrating clarity of purpose and investment process.  

Triodos Bank – Pioneer Award

Triodos Bank has made a significant contribution to the sector by encouraging responsible financial practice, thought leadership and innovation. This year, Triodos launched its first retail investment funds for UK consumers and it has continued to grow and improve its range of services for customers. Triodos leads the industry and is an exemplar in pioneering transparency and connection between customers and their investments.

Good Energy Group Plc – Award for Potential

Good Energy PLC recently listed on AIM and is an inspiring and responsible ethical business, and a success story within the sector. The Group supplies approximately 30,000 domestic and commercial customers, and supplies gas to approximately 6,700 domestic customers. It also supports a growing community of approximately 40,000 independent green power generators across the UK. We see interesting investment potential in Good Energy Plc.

Highly Commended

WHEB Asset Management – One to Watch

This year WHEB Asset Management invested in and brought in the ex-Henderson fund management and corporate engagement team, creating a market leading offer, within a business which has demonstrated a strong commitment towards seeding early stage environmental businesses. We see this as our “one to watch” and look forward to see them reaching £100M in asset under management by December 2013.  

Kames Capital Plc - Performance

Highly commended for strong performance, Kames Capital Plc, the Kames Ethical Equity and Ethical Cautious Managed funds, have delivered excellent returns to investors over a wide range of time-periods.   Kames are the most consistent performers in terms of a pure financial return and the organisation overlays this with a clear message on investment philosophy, screening and corporate engagement work.

John Ditchfield says, “Ethical investment is a fast growing part of the financial services sector. The strong financial returns being delivered by many ethical funds hasn’t gone unnoticed and we’re seeing an increase in enquiries with many savers having lost faith in the activities of the banks and the pitiful savings returns that they offer.

Increasingly, people are realising that they can invest in something they believe in - as well as making a financial return. We are urging people to consider their options and make a ‘conscious’ decision about where to invest their money.”

Barchester Green Investments is the UK’s leading independent financial adviser specialising in ethical and environmental investment. Get in touch today if you want more information, or just want to talk through your options. 

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green investment, winners and spinners, john ditchfield, neiw, barchester green investments, national ethical investment week