Consumers pushing for green finances
Financial institutions would do well to offer customers environmentally-friendly products according to the Co-operative Bank, as ethical spenders are becoming more commonplace.Natalie Collins, public relations officer for the Co-op, said banks were currently offereing more green products and those that help with climate change, explaining "It's all due to customer demand."Ms Collins said that her own company now employs a public ethical policy, since over 90 per cent of customers they surveyed said this was important to them. The policy entails giving advice to companies they invest in to help them improve their own social responsibility. She explained: "There has been a growth over the past few years of ethical consumer spending, but although she did not necessarily believe that eco-friendly mortgages or other green financial products were the future, per se, she believed it was valuable for banks to offer them as an option. "I know a lot more companies are looking to offer these types of products just from the Budget They are offering more products to help the environment and to help climate change as a whole. "I think it's something that companies will offer, but not as the norm. I think they'll offer it as a range of products that customers can choose from."
Share this..
Related stories
Virgin Media announces 2200 job cuts
Richard Branson's Virgin Media group has today announced a large-scale restructuring of the business which will see 15% of the workforce made redundant (2200 jobs). The move comes on the back of a recent restructuring of the company's debt which has given Virgin Media significant breathing space for the future.
This is the first sign of a slowdown in the entertainment, telephone and...
The chill wind in the airline sector
Ryanair has today confirmed that competition in the sector and price reductions will see net profits for the full year come in at around £173 million, which is very much at the bottom end of analyst expectations. The company has blamed increased competition in the sector as airlines battle for the smaller passenger pie with traffic figures still very subdued to say the least.
The c...
From boats to shipping containers; the alternative mortgage
The traditional way of buying your first house or moving house is to contact an estate agent, view some properties around an area of your choice, choose a house you like, research transport links and local schools, apply for a mortgage and then move in. Is this the only way to do it? Are there other alternatives for you to live in the house of your dreams? It turns out; there are a rang...
Read MoreIs confidence in the Irish economy misplaced?
The Irish economy has been very much in the news over the last few weeks and months with the collapse of the financial sector, significant government cost-cutting and various altercations with unions. However, there is a general feeling that the economy is on the verge of a turnaround with the Irish Prime Minister, Brian Cowen, suggesting that a return to rapid growth could happen as early as 2010...
Read MoreUK government to share JP Morgan bonus pot
The UK government is set to share in the £5.7 billion bonus pot announced by financial giant JP Morgan today. The authorities will take around £300 million from JP Morgan alone due to the introduction of the UK banking bonus tax. When you consider this could be replicated across the larger UK financial institutions when they also announce their bonus packages, the UK government could end up gene...
Read More