Invest for good 

Amongst the uncertain times we find ourselves in, it’s no wonder the Commission For Financial Capability is telling us they are witnessing a flood of questions about money, and have aptly themed this year’s Sorted Money Week ‘Just Wondering’. In times like these, clients want to avoid risk, are inclined to rush to ‘safe’ assets, and want to be sure their money is being managed well.

So which investment approach can provide this for clients?

Investors must be discerning as to their actions if they are to contribute to meaningful structural change, says Nithya Iyer.

News headlines are tiring of reporting on the Black Lives Matter protests. The solidarity uprisings across the world are waning and #GeorgeFloyd is trending less. As company logos revert to their usual branding, careful amendments are made to ensure they were seen - and will continue to be seen - on the ‘right side’ of history. The investment community is no exception, with investor groups and financial services institutions touting their Diversity & Inclusion quotients, ESG investments and Corporate Social Responsibility activities as a means of demonstrating their alliance against racial prejudice.

Pandemics such as coronavirus are the result of humanity’s destruction of nature, according to leaders at the UN, WHO and WWF International, and the world has been ignoring this stark reality for decades.

The illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade as well as the devastation of forests and other wild places were still the driving forces behind the increasing number of diseases leaping from wildlife to humans, the leaders told the Guardian.

They are calling for a green and healthy recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, in particular by reforming destructive farming and unsustainable diets.