Book review: Green Money: How to Save and Invest Ethically – Sarah Pennells (2009)

Green Money, by SavvyWoman founder Sarah Pennells, aims to show readers how to assess what they want to do with their money and how to look behind a company’s promises.

In addition, it shows what you need to take into account when deciding between the best financial decision and the one that reflects your values more strongly.

According to Pennells, in 2007, the amount of money invested ethically reached almost £9 billion and over 750,000 ethical bank accounts were opened. The figures reveal the growing market of ethical investment driven by a combination of environmental factors and increasing interest from consumers in the ethics behind a company’s profits. Pennells examines what being ‘ethical’ means and how turn good intentions into reality.

Green Money is full of advice on how to develop financial plans that will benefit you as well as the world around you. It highlights how difficult it can be to assess products and decipher how ethical a company really is.

The book is easy to read and understand, making it an excellent starting point for those looking to make ethical decisions. It manages to be jargon free and logical whilst still being comprehensive. Bullet points, lists and sub-headers are used throughout the text to break it down and emphasis key points.

Green Money is recommended for anyone wanting to be ‘green’ when it comes to money and investment.