Socially responsible investment is fast catching on and its use is becoming more of a norm than an exception. FTSE, for example, is developing an ethical index called FTS&euro4Good.

VKG, the &euro507.5m ($476.7m) Belgian doctors', dentists' and pharmacists' pension fund, often seen as a frontrunner in investment decisions, is looking into how to best incorporate social or ethical investment criteria into the fund.