Celebrating National Ethical Investment Week, alternative investment specialist launches exclusive bamboo webinars
UKSIF, the sustainable investment and finance association will launch its National Ethical Investment Week (NEIW) from the 16th – 22nd October 2011, in an attempt to inform investors of their green and ethical options when it comes to their finance and investment decisions.
The UK campaign launched in 2008 aims to highlight the positive impacts of green and ethical investments on the environment and society, pointing out that it is possible to pick a socially and environmentally responsible investment and still make excellent returns.
The NEIW campaign will bring together financial advisers, monetary organisations, NGOs, charities and faith groups, all working in partnership to encourage the shift towards a more environmentally sustainable and socially responsible society.
With this in mind, potential investors looking to make a difference not only to their portfolios and bank accounts but to the greater good of the planet can look no further than the best alternative in the sustainable investments sector to date, bamboo.
With the bamboo market currently valued at $5bn a year growing to a predicted $20bn by 2015, bamboo presents the perfect timber alternative that is playing a vital role in helping alleviate not just environmental degradation but the plight of poverty in developing countries such as Nicaragua.
Currently, the world’s forests are under huge pressure as demand for timber grows. Traditional hardwoods take around 25 to 50 years to grow compared to just 50 days for bamboo and as a result, bamboo produces more than 20 times the timber from the same area; thus creating a sustainable and environmentally friendly source of supply.
On a social level, harvesting the fastest growing plant in the world, bamboo, is a labour intensive process and therefore creates many jobs in areas where employment is scarce. In addition, building with bamboo is not only inexpensive but also has the added benefit of providing earthquake proof housing with many architects arguing that bamboo cultivation and construction is the answer to protecting the world’s poor in disaster prone areas.
Meanwhile, for investors bamboo is a high value product with booming demand. The returns from investment far outstrip those of traditional assets in recent years, helping investors pull in attractive annual returns.
Ray Withers, Director of alternative investment experts Property Frontiers explains,
“Bamboo is such a valuable commodity and our asset backed bamboo bond, the world’s first, is one that not only guarantees strong annual returns (highest returning bond priced at $50,000 returns over 500% over a 15 year period) but makes an astounding contribution to our planet and its people. Indeed, while bamboo has vast environmental benefits and qualities that put it ahead of traditional wood materials such as excellent durability and twice the compression strength of concrete it also has over 3,500 commercial uses including food, flooring, furniture, paper, medicines clothes and bikes, you can even get bamboo ipad covers!
Withers continues,
“On a more personal level, what really astounds me is the social impact that bamboo can have on a developing country. On my recent visit to the plantations in Nicaragua I was deeply moved by what I saw. There has been a huge influx of workers and the plantations have become a real lifeline to the people who were once living below the poverty line. Thanks to the work of EcoPlanet, the plantation owners, their average daily wage has increased by 300% and a new shelter is being built to teach many of the workers how to read and write.”
For ethically minded investors, Property Frontiers is providing the perfect opportunity to gain an insight into the world of bamboo investments at their exclusive bamboo investment webinars on Tuesday 11th October 2011 at 1pm BST and Thursday 13th October at 7pm BST.
For attendance on Tuesday please register your details at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/293761886 and for attendance at Thursday’s webinar please register here https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/125450774. For more information on ethical investing please contact Property Frontiers on +44 (0) 1865 202 700 or visit www.propertyfrontiers.com.