The World Bank and commercial banking establishments are paying more attention to environmental concerns in their lending policies, and private and institutional investors are increasingly tending to consider how their money is actually being used. Environmental, civil rights and peace groups have put forward a variety of ideas for making investments more ethically and ecologically responsible. People who took to the streets in the 1960s, 1970s or 1980s to protest against war, destruction of the environment or racial discrimination suddenly realized that their own money, held by the banks, was helping to finance just what they were fighting against. A search for alternatives was launched. And more than 140 investment funds have been established worldwide, using more or less strict criteria to assess the ecological quality of their investments.
Many people think that environmental investment means forgoing profits.
But where shares are concerned, an environmentally conscious investment can actually bring economic advantages. Companies who already produce emissions well below statutory levels will have an easier time when stricter limits are introduced than less progressive competitors, who will have to carry out costly investment programmes, and then there are the marketing advantages of having a green corporate image. Political factors often have a considerable impact on a company's success. Tomra shares are among the most favoured by socially responsible and environmental investment funds. Nevertheless, eco-investors still have relatively small clout in the market as too many of them are interested only in the rate of return on their investment.