A recent study from global sustainable investment specialists EIRIS reveals that there are now almost 90 ethical retail funds available to UK investors.  The past year saw ten new ethical retail funds (ie those funds open to the general public) launched in the UK with more on the way.

New funds include ABN Amro's Brazilian Emerging Market SRI Fund, which ABN Amro says is the first ethical retail fund available to UK investors to target shares in emerging markets.  HSBC's GIF Sustainability Leaders Fund invests in mainstream European stocks classed as best in class for sustainable development. The fund directly supports the work of LEAD (an international not-for-profit organisation focussed on leadership and sustainable development) who receive a donation from HSBC’s management fee.

EIRIS spokesperson Mark Robertson said “Growing concern over issues such as climate change mean that more and more people are beginning to think about the impacts their investments can have. 2006 saw a significant increase in interest in ethical investment from both individual investors and their advisers. It’s great to see some innovative new ethical products launched to meet this demand”.

EIRIS will be conducting its annual survey which tracks the amount of money invested in Britain’s ethical retail funds shortly. It is expected that figures will show a big increase in the amount of UK money invested ethically in 2006.