Assessing your environmental impact
Your current position in terms of service providers will be a simple list of organisations (banks, insurance companies, accountant, etc.) with a note of typical annual payments to them.  You can then obtain their environmental policies to the extent that they are available.

Deciding on your targets
Having established your service providers you can decide on which ones meet your requirements in terms of attitude to the environment and ethical stance.  Those that do not consider the environment in their business can be considered for replacement, depending on the availability of alternatives in that particular sector.

Reducing your impacts
When choosing the providers of business banking, insurance, financial and other services there may be a restricted market that meets your particular needs.  For example a business requiring loan finance may find that only certain banks are willing to lend money.  Similarly, insurance within certain trade sectors may only be available from particular insurers.

Where your needs are more general there can often be little perceptible difference between a wide range of suppliers.  Prices and apparent service levels may appear to be very similar.  In this scenario the environmental and ethical approach of the service providers may be the key to deciding who to purchase from.

It is beyond the scope of Green Accountancy’s business to recommend particular service providers.  We simply do not have knowledge of the entire market in any particular service sector, nor do we have the resources to analyse the offerings of each and every possible supplier.  It is notable that Friends of the Earth no longer recommend energy suppliers for similar reasons.  This website provides only general information and not specific advice. The companies mentioned are simply those that we are aware of providing ethical services.

Particular caution should be applied to services offering to donate a percentage of fees, interest or other amount to charities.  These services are occasionally a poor investment and you may find you can donate more to charity if you make a better investment and make a personal donation.

If you are interested in obtaining services from ethical providers, here are some starting points. 

Banking
It is widely recognised that the Cooperative Bank, Triodos Bank and the Ecology Building Society have strong ethical credentials.  

Insurance
Cooperative Insurance (CIS) are wildly recognised as having an ethical stance.

Other services
Whatever service you are selecting, and whatever your sector, it is possible to make an environmentally friendly decision.  If you are unsure, ask for your provider’s environmental policy.  This simple question can often be very revealing.

The companies mentioned above are also widely mentioned in the media as providers of ethical services.  These companies may not meet your particular needs.  We do not have knowledge of the entire market and in this respect we do not give investment advice.

Investing Ethically Limited (IFAs)

The Cooperative Bank

Triodos Bank

Ecology Building Society

Cooperative Insurance