SRI funds hit by market turmoil

The volume of SRI assets in the UK fell 17% this year as a result of a high equity exposure, according to European social responsibility ratings agency Vigeo.

In the year to 30 June, UK SRI assets totalled €10.5bn, down from €12.5bn last year but an increase on 2007's €8bn. The average size of a UK SRI fund is €107m.

The agency says the fall is most likely a result of high exposure to equities, which account for 74% of SRI investments and saw their values fall significantly over the period.

However, the number of SRI funds in the UK increased from 86 to 98 over 2009.

The UK accounts for 20% of the total €53bn of European SRI assets, making it the second biggest market after France which has a 27% share.

Tesco, BG Group and Vodafone top the SRI holdings for funds across Europe, while GlaxoSmithKline and Scottish and Southern Energy also feature in the top ten.

None of the top five performing SRI European funds are based in the UK, according to Vigeo.