Finder conducted a survey into how many people in the UK invest (whether that’s with a fund manager or using a trading app), how ethical their portfolios are and if current non-investors would be swayed to invest into ethically run companies.
A 2026 Finder survey found that, while over half of UK adults (58%) have invested, only 16% have ever actively chosen ethical or ESG investments as part of their portfolio, with 8% holding them currently and another 8% holding them in the past. A previous Finder survey revealed that 77% of investors would consider investing ethically, but it seems this has not yet translated into reality.
Ethical investing varies among the generations. Millennials are the most likely to have an ESG investment, with 28% having done so. They are followed by generation Z, with 27% having invested in ESG.
ESG is key for companies today, since consumers are more conscious of the environmental impact of their consumption. Research shows that 88% of consumers will be more loyal to companies that support social and environmental initiatives. There is a lot of opportunity for companies to improve on ESG, only 50% of companies believe they measure up well against environmental metrics, according to a recent global survey.
Committing to ESG can be costly, but the upside of the initial investment is reflected in the stock market. According to a recent metastudy, the majority of ESG investment funds perform better than the overall market.
| Opinion | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Companies that believe they meet environmental metrics | 50% |
| Consumers that are more loyal to ESG friendly companies | 88% |
Greenwashing occurs when companies focus more on marketing themselves as environmentally friendly than on limiting their negative environmental impact. A recent global survey found that around 80% of executives believe their organization is meeting ESG metrics, but 58% of the same executives admitted to instances of greenwashing within their organization.
Greenwashing can backfire, if consumers find out about it. Recent research shows that around 76% of consumers will stop buying from companies that treat the environment poorly.
Aside from attracting interest from consumers and investors, many companies around the world are directly affected by their ESG effort. 4 in 5 (80%) of the world’s largest companies are reporting significant exposure to climate change risks according to external research. In light of this, more than three-quarters (77%) of small and mid-sized companies in the UK formally stated their ESG goals, according to recent research.
As of 2021, there were 167 ESG funds in the UK for investors to choose from. According to external research, 88% of publicly traded companies had some ESG initiative in place, as of 2020. By comparison, only around 2 in 3 (67%) private companies had ESG initiatives in place at the same time.
| Company Ownership | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Publicly traded | 88% |
| Privately owned | 67% |
Finder commissioned Censuswide to carry out a nationally representative survey of adults aged 18+. A total of 2,000 people were questioned throughout Great Britain between 9 and 11 February 2026, with representative quotas for gender, age and region. The online survey has a margin of error of ±2.2% at a 95% confidence level. Censuswide follows the MRS Code of Conduct, ESOMAR principles, and is a member of the British Polling Council.
Sophie Barber
Communications Manager
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