On an Island with who?

I was recently interviewed for Blue & Green Tomorrow Magazine on my approach to ethical investing.

You can read the whole interview here:
http://www.blueandgreentomorrow.com/features/2011/12/9/green-by-name-green-by-nature-helping-people-do-what-they-ca.html

As well as a few facts about Putney, where the office is located, the interview also asked that old favourite about who I'd like to be stranded on a desert island with.

Rather than give a fascinating insight into my psychological make-up, as the interviewer hoped, I gave a practical and logical answer, hopefully in keeping with my approach to ethical investing.
(Or was that a fascinating insight into my psychological make-up?)

Who was it? Have a read and find out...

UK Sustainable Investment 20th Anniversary

The Invitation

Last week I attended the 20th Anniversary reception at The House of Lords for UKSIF, originally named the UK Social Investment Forum, now known as the Sustainable Investment and Finance Association.

Membership consists of 70+ Financial Institutions, 60+ social finance and other institutions and 50 pension funds and foundations.

I am one of just over 50 financial advisers that are members.

UKSIF supports the UK finance sector to lead the world in advancing sustainable investment through financial services.

According to their latest data (*all noted in the anniversary publication ‘Taking Responsibility: Achieving Resilience’) nearly £940 billion in assets is managed responsibly in the UK. Arguably then, responsible investment has moved from the margins to the mainstream. This view is supported by further research showing over 50% of adults would be interested in using their investments to both make money and make a difference.



 GREEN FINANCIAL

Green by name and Green by nature - I offer a service whereby I manage, monitor and assist clients with ‘green’ portfolios. Probably the biggest difference I bring compared to many advisers is my mantra of doing ‘what I can, where I can’.

This means I do recycle where possible, I do buy fairtrade or organic when available, I do switch electrical appliances off at night etc – but I don’t wear 100% hemp clothes or live life without plastic! I bring that ethos to investing for clients, using ethical, socially responsible or green funds where possible but not insisting 100% of the portfolio has to be ‘green’ at all times (although it can be if you want it to be)

WORTH THE EXTRA?

And just like food shopping or utilities, my ‘green’ service does cost a little more, as it means a little more work needs to go in, but it is up to you, the end user, whether you wish to pay a little more for the green (or ethical or fairtrade – call it what you will) investment service.

EQUAL PERFORMANCE?

As I write in my latest client magazine there is no evidence to support the myth that investing in a socially responsible manner means lower performance. That is just not true.

see http://www.iangreen.com/ - digital magazines for Jul/Aug2011 issue

As with all investments there are both challenges and opportunity that will filter through to affect eventual returns.

NEIW

If you’d like to discuss Green Investing please do get in touch.

Look out for National Ethical Investment Week later in the year, 16-22 October 2011. I’ve been supporting this initiative since it was launched four years ago.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of pictures from the reception at The House of Lords.

Lord Deben (John Gummer) addressing the reception

The famous terrace



Blue & Green Tomorrow - Feb 2011

February issue of Blue and Green Tomorrow Magazine

Contents include a map of the UK showing where individuals who consider themselves 'socially responsible investors' reside

Travelling to Europe?
Can the plane beat the train when considering the strain?

And much more











Full details at www.blueandgreentomorrow.com or email me for your free copy

Blue and Green Tomorrow - issue 1

I’ve recently been involved, as a founding supporter, in the launch of a new free magazine titled ‘Blue & Green Tomorrow’

It is a magazine for those that want the planet to be as blue and green tomorrow as it was yesterday. (see end of this post for which famous author to thank for the name)

It is NOT just for tree huggers. It is for those that make positive choices where they can, when they can. Clean energy maybe, buying fair-trade goods, ethical investing (my area of expertise), recycling at home & the office and so on.




Nothing’s perfect though, and we all know we can usually do better.
Many companies are now operating with ‘people, profit & planet’ in mind. Sadly some aren’t, they just make the right noises. Blue & Green Tomorrow is not about ‘Greenwash’, where an organisation just pretends they are doing right – and it is not about sensational headlines. It will print good news but also report on bad.

It seeks to provide relevant, interesting, informative and enjoyable news and features.




There are a few sample pages from the first edition here. The front cover, the editorial, my specialist subject ‘ethical investing’ and just to ‘bee’ different (ahem), an article on what bees are doing and what might happen if they stop doing it!











If you’d like a copy, drop me an email at iangreen@iangreen.com with your postal address and I’ll rush one out to you.

Alternatively you could sign up for the e-newsletter at www.blueandgreentomorrow.com/register

I hope you enjoy it.

Ian Green
Blue and Green Tomorrow magazine
Founding Supporter

* We're indebted to Douglas Adams for writing The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in which he describes Earth as "an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet". Now you know...

Green Penguins?

A Green Penguin?...One of the problems I face with being 'Green' is that sometimes I am required to undertake more travel than may be strictly necessary. So one of the measures I implement is to plant a tree to carbon offset air travel.

As you can see above, Green Financial paid for a tree to be planted in the charmingly named Penguin Wood in Botany Bay, in South Derbyshire. I chose this strangely titled place as when I was in India, I visited the Hanging Gardens which overlook Mumbai and was surprised to find a litter bin in the shape of a Penguin!