Green, social and ethical funds in Europe have grown considerably in number and size over the past year, in spite of the fallout from the financial crisis. Assets under management rose by 9 per cent a year to €53bn (£47bn, $77bn) by the end of June. Some say this proves socially responsible investing (SRI) is more than a fashion. Yet SRI remains a niche area with SRI assets reaching a mere 1.11 per cent of total assets in Ucits funds this year. In the FT (November 27) Al Gore and David Blood called for “sustainable capitalism” to guide investors to think more long term and responsibly. Why don’t investors focus more on sustainability and the long term, they asked. More…

Source: Financial Times