If you’re horrified by recent catastrophic weather events caused by climate change, the rapid loss of our natural world, and global poverty and inequality – you might want your money to support investments that are tackling these issues.
Remember that investing should always be for the longer term, meaning your money stays locked away whether the markets are high or low. As they say, “it’s not about timing the market, but about time in the market”. There’s one thing we do know for certain – the earlier you start the better.
So, if you’ve been thinking that now is the time to start investing sustainably, but don’t know where or how to do it, here are our thoughts on the top three easy-to-use sustainable investment platforms.
For your complete guide to the best ethical and sustainable investment funds available to UK investors, see the latest Good Investment Review, produced in partnership with Square Mile Research and The Big Exchange.
Simply EQ
Investments: Equities, bonds, property, commodities, alternatives and cash
Annual fee: 0.99 per cent for investments up to £100,000, then reducing
Simply EQ is an online and phone-based investment service from Good With Money ‘Good Egg’ company EQ Investors. Minimum investment is £250 per month or a £1,000 lump sum.
You can choose from the ‘Positive Impact‘, ‘Future Leaders’ or ‘Climate Action’ portfolios. The Positive Impact portfolio actively screens for social and environmental impact and is designed to maximise your profit while also making a positive difference to the planet and its people. Future Leaders “invests in the sustainable leaders of tomorrow,” and Climate Action invests for a low carbon future.
Find out more about Simply EQ here.
Triodos Bank
Annual fee: 0.4 per cent on investments up to £250,000 and 0.20 per cent on balances over this.
Minimum investment: £250
Triodos Bank, a pioneer in sustainable finance, offers four impact investment funds for you to invest in through its Ethical Stocks and Shares ISA – the Triodos Global Equities Impact Fund, Triodos Pioneer Impact Fund Triodos Sterling Bond Impact Fund and the Triodos Future Generations Fund.
Find out more about Good With Money ‘Good Egg’ company Triodos here.
The Big Exchange
Investments: Equities, bonds, or sometimes both
Annual fee: 0.25 per cent.
The Big Exchange, co-founded by The Big Issue, is an online investment platform which only lists funds that are proven to be making a positive difference to the planet and its people.
Its large range of funds cover different sustainable aims, from lowering carbon emissions, contributing to social housing or helping to protect wildlife. The platform also offers three ready-made investment bundles – ‘cautious’, ‘balanced’ or ‘adventurous’ – put together by independent experts based on how much risk the investments are likely to take over time.
We particularly like the fact that The Big Exchange takes transparency up a gear and displays each and every company that each fund invests in, not just the top 10.
You can invest from £25 a month or a lump sum of £100.
