Pension holders concerned over ethics
Just 13 per cent of Scots who have a pension actively chose their own investment portfolio but a majority are concerned about ethical and social issues surrounding those finances, according to new research.
The Yougov poll of more than 1,000 adults north of the Border also found that nearly a third do not have a pension at all.
Two-thirds of Scots said it is important that banks and other financial institutions take into account ethical, environmental and social issues when undertaking investments.
The research was commissioned by the Ethical Finance Hub to coincide with the Ethical Finance 2019 global summit taking place in Edinburgh.
The two-day event, which is organised by the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI) and hosted at RBS’ headquarters, is supported by the Scottish Government. Bodies represented include the UN, Bank of England, Baillie Gifford and HSBC.
Chris Tait, project manager of the Ethical Finance Hub, said: “Ethical finance matters for people because, over the years, trust in banks has diminished and today’s generation of consumers believes that investment decisions should reflect the issues they care about, such as the environment.
“That’s why this poll shows that two-thirds of Scots believe it is important for financial institutions to take into account ethical, environmental and social issues when making their investments. It’s also time to raise awareness of the importance of making ethical investments in the future.”