DFID’s Investing in a Better World initiative is finding out more about the UK public’s interest in investing that helps achieve the Global Goals.Working with PwC, DFID ran an online survey of over 6,000 people, which included a large nationally representative sample. This was supplemented with a consultation of over 2,000 people through public feedback forms and public events. Industry stakeholders were engaged to contextualise findings from the survey through five roundtables and 44 interviews.

DFID research into people’s views on sustainable investing has revealed just over two thirds of UK savers, 68%, would like their investments to be responsible and impactful – by taking impact on people and planet into consideration, alongside financial factors, in investment decisions. This is particularly clear among those with assets over £25,000 (77%) who are the most likely to hold investments now. High levels of interest are also found among millennials (74%) who represent the future of the investment market.

Sustainable investing, where impact on people and planet (e.g. particular SDGs) are taken into consideration alongside financial returns, is growing. In the UK, the sustainable investment industry is now valued at £1.2 trillion and has grown by 5.5% year-on-year over the last seven years.

While this type of investing is important to people, the survey suggests that many people are not investing this way because the industry still needs to further:
o improve the availability and accessibility of products;
o raise standards and develop common terminology on sustainability and impact;
o address misconceptions on risk and return, where many people mistakenly think that sustainable investing inherently means that profits will be lower; and
o share clear and simple information about sustainable investing.

The research also outlines the market trends that are making progress against these areas.

These results will be used to inspire further change in industry in order to mobilise more capital to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals.

The new Impact Investing Institute (supported by DFID and DCMS) will work to make it easier for people to invest for impact.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/investing-in-a-better-world-results-of-uk-survey-on-financing-the-sdgs