France is a rare bright spot for socially responsible investing in Europe attracting almost twice as much as its nearest rival, Germany, largely as a result of French government policies.

According to Novethic, a French research firm that verifies funds' SRI credentials, French SRI funds had €115bn under management at the end of 2011. Meanwhile Germany had €57bn, the UK had £55bn and Switzerland, €35bn, according to the European Sustainability Forum.