FOOD security is one of the world's most pressing long-term social challenges yet the stock pickers at Australia's biggest and best known ethical superannuation fund have their hands tied when it comes to investing in agricultural and food companies.

Ethical investing is only for the naive, right? With the carbon tax dead and the renewable energy target for the chop, Australia's renewable sector is going the way of the dodo. What's the point of paying more to get poor performance from an ethical investment fund in an environment like that?

Investing “ethically" sounds like a great idea in theory but Marissa Rossi of UBS Global Asset Management reveals the number of quandaries it throws up.

Ethical investing isn't always straightforward, but it can be lucrative, writes John Collett.

Dictionaries list several different definitions for the word "ethics." The primary definition is a system of moral principles, and a secondary definition is that it is the rules of conduct as used by a specific group or culture.

The article focuses on sustainable investment and an ethical approach to investment that can help in combating climate change and avoiding social harm in Australia. Topics discussed include global campaign aimed at financial divestment, encouraging institutional investors to adopt an ethical approach to investing and a study "Expect the Unexpected: Building Business Value in a Changing World" on management of environmental, social and governance concerns by organizations and value creation.

The article presents an overview of socially responsible investing, in which investors make investment choices that have a positive impact on the world. A discussion of the Social Investment Forum, which is a nonprofit group that is dedicated to promoting socially responsible investing, is presented. Advice on choosing companies to invest in which are environmentally friendly is offered.

The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) is the peak industry body representing responsible and ethical investors across Australia and New Zealand. RIAA has over 150 members who manage more than $500 billion in assets under management, including super funds, fund managers, consultants, researchers, brokers, impact investors, property managers, community banks, community trusts, religious groups, financial advisers and individuals.

When most people think of ethical investing, they most likely think of negative screening - what gets excluded. This is an important part of the story if you don’t want your money supporting industries like tobacco, uranium or coal mining, exploitation of people, or old growth forest logging.