Green energy is a 'favoured investment' in UK

Green energy solutions is one of the favourite types of investment within the UK, according to a new study. One Poll has found that renewable energy is the second most popular type of investment among Brits, following just behind property. However, among the younger generations, renewable power was the top investment choice.

Of the 2,000 respondents involved in the survey, a third stated that renewable energy was their favoured form of investment and some 43 per cent chose property as the top investment. However, among 19 to 24-year-olds, renewable energy pulled ahead with 39 per cent selecting it as their top choice, compared to only 36 per cent choosing property.

Only 23 per cent of total respondents selected traditional energy as the favoured form of investment in the UK. Other areas that were chosen as favoured investments were manufacturing (19 per cent), consumer goods (15 per cent), hospitality (14 per cent) and transport (122 per cent).

Some 71 per cent of those surveyed stated they are worried about where their money is invested and three-quarters of respondents said that they would not be happy if their money was invested in environmentally-damaging companies. This was particularly true of respondents aged 55 and over. 

People also stated that financial return (75 per cent) and risk (72 per cent) were important aspects when considering investments. Renewable energy was seen as a good investment in terms of both of these factors, with 55 per cent or those surveyed saying that green energy investment was low to medium risk. Some 68 per cent said that they would be tempted by a renewable investment that promised an eight per cent return.       

The latest survey was commissioned by Abundance Generation, a crowd-funding platform. Brian Davis, co-founder and joint managing director of the platform, said: "We're now not only seeing majority public support for renewable energy, but people actively wanting to put their money in it too. Britain is a nation in love with property, so it's no wonder this is at number one, but to see renewables favoured above old energy is a great vote of confidence in the sector."