NEIW 2013
National Ethical Investment Week 2013 National Ethical Investment Week goes from strength to strength and provides a national platform for spreading the word about the importance and value of ethical investment. Gaeia marked the week with two events: one in London at the Social Stock Exchange and the other at the Manchester Museum, whilst also celebrating our 20th anniversary since our creation in 1993. With a recent survey showing that ethical investors still rate climate change as their number one concern, Gaeia responded by inviting climate change expert Professor Kevin Anderson and his research partner Dr Alice Bows-Larkin, of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change research at Manchester University to speak. Their work on carbon budgets has been pivotal in revealing the widening gulf between political rhetoric on climate change and the reality of rapidly escalating emissions. They made it clear that there is now little or no chance of maintaining the rise in global mean surface temperature at below 2C, despite repeated high-level statements to the contrary. Moreover, their research demonstrated how avoiding even a 4C rise demands a radical reframing of both the climate change agenda and the economic characterisation of contemporary society. “Forget the population explosion, it’s consumption that’s the issue” said Kevin. “Cumulative emissions are what we should be focusing on and it’s what happens today and tomorrow that counts.” So it’s people like us, living in the western world who need to radically change our lifestyles, reduce our consumption and genuinely try to live more sustainably. Guest speakers also included Pradeep Jethi, CEO of the Social Stock Exchange, Paul Cooper and Natasha Sanden-Mills of Sarasin & Partners LLP, who explained their sustainable investment philosophy and John Eckersley, MD of Castlefield Gaeia Limited who outlined ConBrio BEST Income Fund. The event in Manchester was followed by acclaimed author Tony White in conversation with Gregory Norminton talking about his gripping new novel ‘Shackleton’s Man Goes South’, an event which Gaeia sponsored as part of the Manchester Literature Festival. Many thanks to all who attended and made both events so enjoyable! SGNEIWBlog/131213