Spanish consumers are increasingly conscious about the social and environmental impact of their spending choices and lifestyles – and local investors and businesses have taken note. As a result, socially responsible investing (SRI) has become not just a buzzword, but a major force backed by numbers.
In 2017, investments managed using SRI strategies in Spain amounted to €185.6bn. Of these, impact investments, which actively seek to produce positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside financial returns, amounted to €311m, more than tripling from €87m in 2014.
Spanish Sustainable Investment Forum, or Spainsif, which published these latest figures in 2018, found that 81% of surveyed investors placed greater weight on sustainable and responsible investments than five years ago. Of those, "61% said that they had increased their investments in sustainable funds and 35% said that they often invested in these types of products," it said.
Impact investors mostly focus on sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, conservation, microfinance, and affordable and accessible basic services including
