You want to support projects that benefit people and the planet, but you\u2019d also like to get a decent return on your cash if possible.<\/p>\n
If that sounds like you, ethical Triodos Bank is offering the chance to put money into projects paying between 5% and 7% interest a year. However, there are risks.<\/p>\n
Triodos was founded in the Netherlands and set up an office in the UK in 1995. It recently won the endorsement of McMafia star James Norton \u2013\u00a0he revealed last month<\/a>\u00a0that he had moved his current account from US giant Citibank to Triodos \u2013 while actor Sir Mark Rylance has been with it for many years.<\/p>\n Now it has unveiled an ethical investment website: triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk. There are similar sites already out there, including Ethex and Abundance, though Triodos says it is the first UK bank to launch such a platform. It will allow people to invest directly in bonds or equity issued by charities or businesses \u201cthat have been extensively screened by Triodos for social and environmental impact, the viability of their business model and the credibility of the management team\u201d.<\/p>\n The first two bond offers are:<\/p>\n \u2022<\/span>\u00a0Mendip Renewables, which aims to raise \u00a31.8m by the end of March to take a 5MW operational solar farm in Somerset into community ownership. Triodos says investors can earn 5% a year, increasing in line with the annual retail price index, repayable over 17 years.<\/p>\n