MY MONEY MATCHES MY MORALS

GREEN-FINGERED Dr Trevor Shields (pictured), 57, wanted a savings account that matched his ethical ethos. Since 2008, the allotment holder has invested in an Isa with green bank Triodos. He now has half his savings in the Isa, which pays 0.95 pc.

The National Trust volunteer (right), who lives in Birmingham with partner Mary, saved hard so he could retire at 55.

He says: ‘We can all make a big difference with how we spend and save our money. As soon as I heard about ethical Isas, I was keen to invest in one. I’d never want my cash to be invested in fossil fuels or anything that damages our planet.

‘It’s particularly important for me to invest in renewable energy technologies. I now know exactly where my money is going.’

Meanwhile, physicist Nathanael Inkson, 4 , eats organic food, cycles and drives an electric car, but he was concerned his investments might be damaging the environment. Father-of-one Nathanael, who lives in Oxford, found out about ethical bank Triodos’s Isa seven years ago after searching online for ethical funds. He now has £ ,500 in his stocks-and-shares Isa. Nathanael says he wanted his investments to have a positive impact and put into sectors he feels strongly about, such as green energy and electric vehicles. He adds: ‘The most pressing threat to our existence is inaction on the environment. I realised that my savings were still linked to fossil fuel and weapons investment, so I switched to green banking and I invested in an ethical Isa.’