Social Survey of Ethical/Green Investors, 1997

The aims and objectives of the project were as follows:<br> to provide information about investors, particularly ethical/green investors, in order to determine whether people are prepared to incur economic costs in expressing their preferences;<br> to critically examine the authenticity of ethical and green trusts;<br> to assess the likely impact of ethical green investment on policy;<br> to contribute to the development of economic psychology.<br> This study used a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methodology. The methods employed included a questionnaire study of ethical investors; 50 interviews and discussions with key personnel in the ethical/green investment movement; a case study of the workings of Friends Provident Stewardship; 14 focus group discussions (comprising on average seven participants each) with 45 non-ethical investors and 49 ethical/green investors; 20 telephone interviews with investors who specifically take a financial loss in investing ethically; and finally a computer simulation study of the investment choices of 27 'ethical' investors and 29 'standard' investors.<br> For the second edition of the study (2003), qualitative material (the 14 focus group discussions) not previously included in the UKDA dataset, was added to the study.