Animal welfare
Protecting animal welfare
Where our customers take the lead, society often follows.
For example, in 1992 they voted overwhelmingly that we should refuse to invest in businesses involved in blood sports – 13 years before the Government's fox hunting ban.
Our customers also voted to say no to the animal testing of cosmetics or household products. The EU will soon follow suit, by banning animal testing for cosmetic purposes from 2013.
Kinder farming methods
To reflect our customers' views on intensive farming methods we will not invest in businesses involved in intensive farming, such as caged egg production. Instead we aim to support free-range farming methods that offer better conditions for animals.
Our policy on animal welfare
We will not invest in any business involved in:
- animal testing of cosmetic or household products or ingredients.
- intensive farming methods, for example, caged egg production.
- blood sports, which involve the use of animals or birds to catch, fight or kill each other.
- the fur trade.
Furthermore, we will seek to support businesses involved in:
- the development of alternatives to animal experimentation.
- farming methods which promote animal welfare, for example, free-range farming.
Want to know more?
How do we define ‘intensive farming'? How are we promoting animal welfare? What activities constitute ‘the fur trade'?
Our policy on animal welfare (open as PDF - 606Kb)
