The survey showed 73 per cent of consumers knew what a ‘green’ investment was, but only 15 per cent took this into consideration when purchasing products.
Of over 400 people questioned, 22 per cent rated houses as the top potential investment they would most likely consider the green elements of, with general investments such as ISAs and savings accounts coming next at 19 and 12 per cent respectively. Car finance came bottom, with 8 per cent.
For those that did check green credentials, 52 per cent put the ethical stance of the company at the top of their list.
Simon Goldthorpe, director at Beacon Asset Management, commented: “Consumers simply don’t realise that their investments can have a direct effect on the health of the planet. IFAs and the companies that offer investment products need to actively step up and offer their customers the chance to invest in green investments. Indeed, they need to educate their clients as to the choices that are available in the market. The rest of the country is doing their bit for the environment; it is time that we in the financial services industry followed suit.”
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Melanie Bien, associate director at Savills, commented: “I think awareness is very low at the moment, as our clients just don’t ask for green mortgages. The problem is there is no proper definition as to what it is and there are only a tiny number of lenders offering them, at higher rates. HBOS announced it will do green mortgages from next year and that will raise awareness and competition. We need to go another step further to get people to think about it.”
