A majority of investors (60%) would consider themselves to be ethically minded when it comes to their shopping and consumer choices but just a third (35%) think they are ethical investors, according to a survey of 2,000 investors conducted by Ecclesiastical Investment Management.
Ecclesiastical which said the statistics from its survey show consumers are "failing to use the same criteria when shopping and investing.
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One in five (21%) respondents said it was their parents who encouraged them to begin investing while 11% were investing for their children while 15% were doing it for their own retirement.
The survey found that the most popular sectors to invest in among men surveyed were precious metals (49%) and natural minerals (40%). Female investors appeared more ethically minded, with 36% saying they would be most happy to invest in the renewable energy sector.
Sue Round, head of investments at Ecclesiastical Investment, said:"With many of us far more environmentally aware, engaged in issues of corporate governance and becoming far more knowledgeable about the companies with which we shop, it will only be a matter of time before consumers realise that they can get good returns alongside investing with their principles.
"The research shows that consumers are happy to buy ethically, but when it comes to investing they fail to see the connection," he added.
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By GlobalDataThe research also found that some 45% of adults in the UK subscribed to this ethos, with 15% wanting their entire savings and investment portfolio to be invested in this way.
