Just over 1% of money in managed funds is now invested in ethical funds. This doesn’t sound like much, but the value of sales of ethical funds in 2006 was £136M, with the total funds being managed in ethical funds at the end of that year being around £5bn.

An alternative to ethical funds is to choose a sustainable fund. These combine many of the benefits of an ethical fund with a more positive approach in that they invest in companies that positively improve the environment and quality of human life, seeking to break new ground in terms of environmental and social performance.