Ecology Building Society are dedicated to building a greener society by providing mortgages for properties and projects that respect the environment and support sustainable communities, funded through a range of simple, transparent savings accounts.
Ecology started as, and remains, a group of like-minded people committed to building a more sustainable future.
Established in 1981 by a group of pioneering founder members who wanted to start a building society to help finance environmental building renovations and support sustainable development. Since then they have expanded the reach of our lending but throughout we remain committed to our mission and ethical principles.
They don’t just support others to try to live and work more sustainability: they do it themselves. They put their ethical principles into practice throughout our operations, from managing the environmental impact of their offices to their approach to fair pay for their staff.
Ecology has lent to over 4,500 projects, supporting individuals, charities, environmental businesses and community-led housing organisations to realise their sustainable living ambitions.
In 2021 they lent £69.4 million to support 371 sustainable properties and projects.
Ecology Building Society is one of Ethical Consumer’s Best Buys for ethical mortgages, cash ISAs and savings accounts. Ecology is also a member of Ethical Consumer’s Best Buy Label community.
EQ Investors (EQ) is a B Corp wealth manager providing financial advice and investment services to individuals, small businesses, and charities.
We specialise in sustainable investing and have been following this approach for over a decade. It is our belief that these businesses have a growing competitive advantage, are natural innovators, and will outperform businesses that have a neutral or negative impact on planet and people.
2024 marks ’10 years in business’ for EQ and we are excited to be celebrating such a great milestone. The vision for EQ was to create a company with a strong focus on building great relationships with clients – and to make sure everyone received a fantastic service, with shared values, shared goals, and shared purpose.
Encapsulated in our unique business model is the commitment to donate 20% of our profits to charitable initiatives through the EQ Foundation. We partner with charities in the UK and overseas on a wide range of causes & projects.
Path Financial are leading ethical financial experts who grow your wealth and invest in people and planet.
Their pensions & investment, financial advice and wealth management services are for individuals who want to create a better, more sustainable future for all. They help to build a lasting legacy to be proud of.
In 2018, founder David Macdonald had an epiphany.
He realised that he had been spending his days advising wealthy clients on how to get wealthier by investing in portfolios that were stuffed full of oil extractors, mining companies and firms that were costing the earth. David knew there had to be a better way.
“I had built up a successful financial advisory practice within one of the UK’s largest Wealth Management firms and was earning good money, but I felt dissatisfied”, explains David, “I could see the financial industry had the power to hold companies to account for their impact on the world, but was failing to do so. There was a huge gap in the market that no one was stepping into.”
So, he took the task upon himself, setting up Path, a market-disrupting firm with a true-to-its-values approach.
Their aim was simple. To tackle climate change, disrupt an outdated financial advice industry and empower investors, showing them how to ask questions and challenge how their money was behaving, whilst also giving them the power to do something about it and make the sustainable switch with confidence and support.
Shared Interest was set up in 1990 and brings together a community of over 12,000 people in the UK with a shared goal of investing in a fairer world. They work hand in hand with people in communities where income opportunities may be limited and businesses are facing increasing challenges.
They act co-operatively, providing finance to fair trade businesses in up to 45 countries. The majority of these organisations support smallholder farmers who produce around a third of the world’s food but often struggle to feed their families.
They use the investments of their members to make loans to organisations of farmers and craftspeople as well as some fair trade buyers. The loans typically fund seeds, plants, materials, crops, equipment or finished goods. Once the crops or crafts are sold, the organisation repays Shared Interest the capital plus a fair rate of interest. The funds can then be recycled and lent out again.
If you are a UK resident and you want to do amazing things with your money, then a Shared Interest Share Account will appeal to you.
You can start changing lives with £100.
These vital funds are used to provide finance to fair trade farmers and craftspeople in 45 countries around the world. It is simple: your ethical investment will change lives.
By opening a Share Account you are investing in withdrawable shares in Shared Interest Society. Your investment is at risk due to the nature of the businesses that we support so you should never invest more than you can afford to lose.
Your ethical investment will not make you rich but it will enrich the lives of others.
In 2023, their members helped support over 400,000 producers and craftspeople to trade and earn a living.
Triodos Bank is a pioneer in sustainable banking. It provides current and savings accounts, as well as investment products, to customers who want their money to work for positive change in society. It also offers loans to values-led businesses and organisations.
Since 1980, Triodos Bank has championed the conscious use of money and its direct impact on the world. It has always envisioned a world in which all people have the necessary tools and resources to live fulfilling lives, and in which the economy operates in harmony with nature. It does this by enabling individuals, institutions and businesses to use money more consciously, making it work for positive social, environmental and cultural change.
In 2023, Triodos financed 640 renewable energy projects worldwide and funded 617 care homes for older people.
Triodos Bank is one of Ethical Consumer’s Best Buys for current accounts, cash ISAs, savings accounts and investment funds.
Ethiqana are a fair trade social enterprise, focused on preserving earth-friendly handicrafts on the verge of extinction through sustainable livelihoods for our artisans in the majority world.
They work directly with artisans – independent and in co-ops across India and elsewhere – to source their unique range of handmade products you cannot find on the high street. Their star product line is plastic and chemical-free wooden toys, coloured with natural dyes. The range also includes personal accessories, home decor and furnishings and Christmas ornaments.
Ethiqana’s mission of creating a positive impact does not end there. They have partnered with Mail Out for warehousing and fulfilment needs, which helps create employment opportunities for adults with learning disabilities in the UK.
They are members of BAFTS Fair Trade Network UK and have also been awarded the People & Planet First certificate by the Social Enterprise World Forum. Their founder, Arshad, was also featured in the Social Entrepreneur Index 2022.
Find out more on their website
Doing Good Together
Your Co-op Mobile, part of The Midcounties Co-operative is proud to be partnered with both Fairphone and Ecologie to provide sustainable solutions for customers and members that benefit people and limit the impact on our planet..
Fairphone, a symbol of sustainable technology stands out as the ethical choice in the market. Both the Fairphone 4 & 5 boast a modular design, crafted with responsibly sourced, Fairtrade and recycled materials. They have been awarded Ethical Consumer’s Best Buy label for sustainability, championing workers’ rights and challenging the wider mobile technology industry to adopt more ethical practices.’
Fairphone is Ethical Consumer’s only Best Buy for mobile phones.
Zaytoun is a social enterprise inspired by a love of Palestinian culture, communities and cuisine. They exist to support Palestinian farmers through fair trade, with 100% of their profits reinvested into delivering this mission.
This is no passing foodie trend – Palestinian farmers have been cultivating their lands for thousands of years and continue to do so, despite the challenges of farming under illegal occupation in the West Bank.
Whether it’s peppery olive oil, fudgy Medjoul dates, sweet crunchy almonds, zesty za’atar, smoky freekeh or nutty maftoul, we’re dedicated to bringing you the very best from Palestine’s fertile groves and fields.
Zaytoun is an Ethical Consumer Best Buy.
Naturesave is the home of green insurance with over 30 years’ experience in protecting people and the planet. Insurance with them supports their charity, the Naturesave Trust, which has donated well over £1 million, thanks to their customers.
Naturesave is one of Ethical Consumer’s Best Buys for home and travel insurance.
Bird & Wild was founded in 2017 to create a truly ethical coffee brand.
With every bag of Bird & Wild coffee bought 6% of sales are donated to the RSPB. The coffee is 100% shade grown, which means that the coffee is grown in a tropical “agroforest” where migratory birds can find healthy havens to arrive to when migrating. The coffee is also Organic and Fairtrade certified. Simply put: they are making a difference one cup of coffee at a time.
Find out more on their website
Hampstead Tea was created to bring us all organic teas that are ethical and delicious. When Kiran moved to the UK from India, she desperately searched for great tasting tea that had no pesticides, or plastics and couldn’t find any.
Skip forward to today and at Hampstead Organic they are incredibly proud to be continuously assessed as:
‘The Most Ethical Tea Brand’ by the Ethical Consumer.
Find out more on their website
Mr. Organic began their journey in 2009 when Valerio, their founder, envisioned creating an Italian organic brand offering an honest and authentic range of Italian products that are both healthy and organic. He believed that combining organic principles with Italian traditions was the perfect recipe for high-quality food that respects both our health and the planet.
Today, they offer over 120 Italian pantry essentials that are always organic, deliciously tasty, and everyday favourites, making it easier to choose tastier and healthier meals to share. Everything they do is 100% organic and plant-based. Being organic means their products are naturally grown on organic farms without harmful chemicals and pesticides, resulting in tastier, healthier food that also protects the planet for generations to come.
Find out more on their website
True Origin is very proud to partnership with Transform Trade to bring back a refreshed version of their popular Traidcraft Breakfast Tea.
This tea generates income for Transform Trade – a UK-based trade justice charity. They work with producers and workers to create a just and sustainable trading system in which everybody benefits. True Origin is a fair trade business offering a range of delightful fair trade foods from African producer partners.
Each of the brands above are Best Buy reccomendations for Coffee, Tea and Snacks. They each have some of our highest ethical scores with 75 or more.