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.