Despite over half (57%) of consumers wanting their pension to be invested responsibly to help tackle climate change, only one in seven people who have a pension currently invest it responsibly.* UK consumers rank climate change as a bigger concern than COVID-19 or the economy, according to a new study*. Climate change is a top concern for 71%, with the pandemic (70%) and the economy (67%) lower priorities.
In all ten countries surveyed, climate change or the environment was the number one ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) concern, reflecting the prominence of climate change in the global debate. Other environmental issues cited include waste management (8%), pollution (6%) and clean air (5%). Over half of consumers are willing to boycott companies with poor ESG performance. SEC Newgate Deputy CEO EMEA Tom Parker says, “There is a widespread interest in and concern about the ethical and sustainability performance of governments and corporates.
This is a truly worldwide phenomenon. The surprising consistency in these results illustrates that all local issues are global and that global issues are local.”
*Royal London, 2021,
*SEC Newgate, 2021
The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. The past is not a guide to future performance and past performance may not necessarily be repeated.
