Ethical Financial Advice Philosophy

My philosophy is that ethical investment is a highly personal decision making process. What suits you may not suit the next person. Despite their marketing, most large advisery firms offer “cookie cutter” advice when it comes to ethical investments. They have products they want to match you to.

There are a number of branded ethical funds which range from light green to dark green. When we talk about SRI (social responsible investment), it’s important to know what is underneath the external image of an organisation. And if it doesn’t align with your values then it’s not appropriate.

You may wish to spread your investments across a range of funds and diversify globally. But a lot of funds have exposure to big banks and resource companies, which you may not normally be aware of. On the other hand, smaller companies are likely to be more volatile.

Over the next 20 years, renewable energy is predicted to be the fastest-growing energy sector, making it a prime investment opportunity. Global energy demand is expected to grow more than a quarter and will be two-thirds of global energy production by 2040.

Environmental conservation is a growing global movement to reduce climate change, improve natural habitats for the world’s flora and fauna, and make sustainable profits doing it. Some investors seek to drive change that is ongoing, while also profitable due to government initiatives such as carbon tax credits or higher revenues on sustainable products.

Investors in the health sector are attracted to the constant need and rapid pace of innovation in healthcare, while also contributing to life-changing and lifesaving initiatives. Both have intrinsic and extrinsic values that are practically and morally appealing, with investment opportunities that are international in scope.

Tobacco is an increasingly taboo and risky investment. Affecting investor decisions is the undeniable fact that tobacco isn’t safe at any level of exposure and is directly linked to seven million global deaths annually.

Gambling investments pose risk due to changing regulations by national governments. Unlike most industries, general economic theories such as supply and demand do not apply equally here, due to government regulations and taxation rates.

The weapons industry is socially prohibitive as a divestment movement engulfs armaments companies. Investors also worry about their participation in the global spread of arms to violent groups such as drug cartels and violent militias.

Energy derived from fossil fuels is becoming irrelevant and is losing market share to renewable energies, especially in the long-term. Lack of market dominance is due to public awareness of fossil fuel impact on climate change, leading to divestment and adoption of green technologies that replace fossil fuels.