Winston Churchill said the inherent vice of capitalism is its unequal share of blessings. Today, the ever-widening chasm of inequality is contributing to a potential tide of political shocks across the West.
But it is not all doom and gloom. A rapidly increasing number of individuals are attempting to redress inequalities by using their money to make the world a fairer place – and cleaner one too. In my last blog, I looked at how social investments such as community shares have the potential to transform large parts of our economy.
An even more important example, in terms of size, is green and ethical funds. According to research organisation Vigeo EIRIS, this sector nearly trebled from £6 billion to £15 billion in the UK in the 11 years to June 2016. And in Europe, ethical funds have grown 16 per cent to €158 billion in the last year.
This expansion looks set to continue as consumer interest in issues like climate change, human rights and equality keeps growing.
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