Brits are on board with investing sustainably to make the world a better place, but impenetrable jargon and complicated processes are preventing them from doing so. We need to try harder to speak their language, says Rathbone Global Sustainability Fund manager David Harrison.

Sustainable investing isn’t just about avoiding the risks of outdated businesses or environmental PR disasters, explains our Global Sustainability Fund manager, David Harrison. It’s also about spotting opportunities that can be captured if you keep your eyes on the future instead of the past.

Searching for investments that improve our world and deliver returns. Rathbones Global Sustainability Fund manager David Harrison takes a trip to America.

What struck me is that for the first time, US investors were actually asking about ESG. That may sound silly, but the US has been very far behind Europe and the UK in this regard.

Everybody wants to invest in technology companies and every company wants to be one. This is as true in 30˚C Florida as it is on the frozen shores of Lake Michigan, in Milwaukee.

It’s where budding tech entrepreneurs want to be, it’s the engine room of the West Coast that accounted for 60% of all US private equity dollars invested in 2018. It is arguably Rome for the digital 21st century.