SJP's Gardner: No point retiring if we have crashed the planet

Company improving ESG stance

Investment performance plays a vital role in securing long-term financial prosperity for investors but finance must also be a force for good, according to Rob Gardner, director of investments at St James's Place, who believes investors should seek "financial wellbeing in a world worth living in".

"There is no point retiring if we have crashed the planet. If, in 20 years' time, we have killed all our coral reefs, we have lost a further 50% of biodiversity and we have increased the temperature of the planet; it does not make sense," he reasoned. According to research conducted by Nordea and the World Economic Forum in 2018, an investor who saves in a sustainable and responsible way can make an impact 27 times greater than improving their lifestyle by flying less, eating less meat, using public transport and reducing water usage, which Gardner described as an "Archimedean lever" th...