Bali agreement sets course towards profit boost for green firms

Commenting on the outcome of the United Nations talks on climate change in Bali, Emma Howard Boyd, Head of Socially Responsible Investment, said: "The outcome of the Bali conference underlines the commitment of governments around the globe to seriously tackle the issues around climate change. It indicates that politicians have recognised the need to react to increasing pressure from the business community and consumers, who are rapidly changing their own buying behaviour.

"This has been an active time for the green agenda. The recently released report from the CBI Climate Change Task Force, published in November, is the strongest collaborative statement yet from British business demonstrating the need to incorporate carbon management into business planning. In addition, on the eve of the Bali conference, 150 global companies - including Jupiter - came together in an initiative led by the Prince of Wales to call for an ambitious legally-binding UN agreement including tough CO2 emission reduction targets.

"We are also witnessing this trend in the investment world. During the year to date, investment into Jupiter's green funds has been almost four times higher than the same period in 2006, illustrating the uplift in consumer interest in this market."