Ethical Investments
EIRIS
Most ethical funds managers use external consultants such as EIRIS, the independent Ethical Investment Research Services - www.eiris.org . EIRIS was originally set up in 1983 with the help of churches and charities which had investments and needed a research organisation to help them put their principles into practice.
In fact, the "ethical/environmental" tag may be on the way out. Such funds in the USA prefer to use the term "socially responsible investing" or SRI. This attempts to take a positive approach to investing rather than a negative one which rules companies out. SRI wants to encourage better business practices. Thus where an ethical fund might not invest at all in a given industry sector, a fund run on SRI lines would invest in the company which is making the best effort to improve its environmental policies. SRI fund managers also indulge in what they call "constructive dialogue", talking with managements on a continual basis to encourage better practices.
Investment Criteria
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