Are you familiar with the sustainable investment movement?

If you already refuse to buy single use plastic, for example, would you rather invest in a business that produces it, or a business that is working towards a more sustainable alternative?

It’s also a trend we are seeing in terms of how people choose to invest their money. In recent years sustainable investment has developed from being quite ‘niche’ or specialised to a growing and influential movement that is demanding the attention of investors around the world.

Sustainable investment has also come to play an increasingly important role in public policy, adding to its rise as a powerful and positive influence around the world. Governments as well as investors are tending towards looking at investment through an ESG lens.

Many of the issues covered by sustainable investment are on a massive scale. It may sometimes feel there is little any of us can do as individuals to influence these issues significantly. However, by pooling our money with lots of other investors through one or more of the sustainable investment options available, or even just by choosing an investment provider that embeds sustainability into all that it does, you can help make a real difference to the causes you care about.

• • • Sustainable investment covers a broad range of options with different goals and objectives.
    • A financial adviser can help you decide whether it’s the right approach for you and how to get started.
    • It can also help to ask yourself some questions to work out what your priorities might be as a sustainable investor.

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to sustainable investment and it’s clear to see that more and more people are joining the movement. It’s even possible you may already be a sustainable investor without realising it, if you belong to a workplace pension for example where trustees make investment decisions on your behalf, or work with a provider like Santander Asset Management that seeks to build sustainability into everything we do.