Rathbones, one of the UK’s leading wealth and asset management groups, has urged investors to take more decisive action on sustainability at its first Group-wide Responsible Investment Summit in London. Delivered by Rathbones Greenbank, the firm’s specialist responsible investment team, the event underscored the growing importance of aligning long-term wealth preservation with global environmental and social priorities.
Opening the summit, David Cox, Head of Rathbones Greenbank, highlighted the pressing need for investor engagement on systemic risks.
“As stewards of capital, we have a responsibility that extends far beyond financial returns,” he said. “The world is at a tipping point – climate, nature, and human rights are all on the line. We urge every investor, adviser, and business leader to join in driving real change.”
Held as COP30 concludes in Brazil, the summit brought together leading contributors from investment, charity and advisory sectors to discuss the future of responsible investment through collaborative dialogue, expert insights and practical innovation.
Rathbones has been integrating environmental, social and governance considerations into investment decisions for decades, launching its first ethical offerings in 1997 and establishing Rathbones Greenbank in 2004. With more than £113 billion in client assets today, the Group pursues a dual mandate: to safeguard long-term client value while shaping the markets that underpin that value.
Hosted at Rathbones’ London headquarters with support from the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) and the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership (CISL), the summit addressed key challenges facing investors, including climate tipping points, biodiversity loss and human rights risks in global supply chains.
Camilla Stowell, Chief Executive Officer of Wealth at Rathbones, said:
“Responsible investment is not an add-on at Rathbones – it is central to our purpose to enable clients to: Invest well. Live Well. Through Rathbones Greenbank, we have championed sustainable investment for over two decades, helping our clients align their capital with their values and the needs of society and the planet; Rathbones Greenbank’s strength is testament to the complexities of the issues we face as a planet and the immense focus required to tackle them in fast-moving global markets.”
David Cox, Head of Rathbones Greenbank, added:
“At Rathbones Greenbank we work every day at the intersection of long-term capital stewardship and real-world sustainability outcomes. Our responsibility is not only to protect and grow our clients’ wealth, but to recognise that the systems that underpin prosperity — from stable climates to functioning ecosystems and fair labour practices — are under strain. What we invest in, how we engage, and the expectations we set all have consequences beyond financial returns.
“Our stewardship, collaborative engagement, and research-driven principles reflect our leadership and accountability in responsible investment and I am pleased to convene a wealth of experts and insights in London today to interrogate issues that shape both investment portfolios and the world around us.”
The programme featured contributions from sustainability, climate science and human rights experts, including a keynote from James Alexander, CEO of UKSIF, and a fireside discussion with CISL CEO Lindsay Hooper. The summit highlighted the shared responsibility across the investment community to support resilient markets and a more sustainable global economy.