An umbrella organisation for ethical and ecological investment in German-speaking countries was founded at the "Green Money" fair in Berlin. Thereby, the first central forum in Germany for this topic was created.
It is the aim of this Forum to promote and disseminate green investment. Part of the foundation event consisted of a panel discussion dealing with "Environment, Ethics and the New German Pension Regulation". The focus of the discussion was the social and ecological disclosure regulation provided by the new German law on pension funds (certification law §1, 9: "[…] The provider shall give written information whether and how he considers ethical, social and legal matters when using the fees that have been paid in."). The panel members included not only future providers of financial products concerning private provision for old age, but also SPD and Green Party members of the German Parliament, as well as scientific experts.
A committee consisting of seven people presided by Walter Kahlenborn of the ecological think-tank Ecologic was voted as the board of the new Forum.
The 28 founding members include well-known investment firms such as Sarasin, BfG Invest, UBS, furthermore alternative banks, such as Umweltbank, various financial brokers and advisers such as Umweltsecur and Pro Vita, as well as rating agencies such as oekom research. Further members include innovative enterprises which borrow money from the green capital market for example unit energy europe, B.A.U.M. and the Janosch Film und Medien, moreover the stock brokers HerMerlin and the Öko-Zentrum NRW, which organised the fair "Grünes Geld" (Green Money).
The Berlin based Forum is modelled after the British "UK Social Investment Forum" (UKSIF). This organisation has done a great deal to improve the basic political and legal conditions for ethical/ecological investment in the United Kingdom. Along with UKSIF and corresponding associations in France, the Netherlands and Italy the Forum Nachhaltige Geldanlagen aims to set up a common association at the European level.
