Ethical Consumer, Issue 186, Sept/Oct 2020

Ethical Consumer Sept/Oct 2020 14 Current accounts SHOPPING GUIDE Best Buys are decided by the editorial team based on the research we have undertaken, the scoring system and the unique insight into the issues that our editorial team has. 9 times out of 10 this will be the brand (or brands) that are top of the table but sometimes an ethical company which is truly innovative scores less well on our rigid scoring system and we use the Best Buy and Recommended section to acknowledge this. A company cannot be a Best Buy if it scores worst for Supply Chain Management. All the research behind these ratings is on www.ethicalconsumer.org D efinitions of all the categories are at www.ethicalconsumer.org/our- ethical-ratings. Triodos [S] = transparent and ethical lending policy Co-op Bank/Smile [S] = ethical lending policy e t h i c a l c o n s u m e r . o r g B E S T B U Y Environment Animals People Politics +ve BRAND COMPANY GROUP Triodos [S] 16 e 1 SAAT Cumberland Building Society 13 H h E Cumberland Building Society Monzo app-based bank 12 H H Monzo Bank Limited Nationwide 12 H H h E Nationwide Building Society Starling Bank app-based bank 12 H H JTC Starling Holdings Limited Metro Bank 11.5 H H h Metro Bank Plc Al Rayan Bank 10.5 H H h h h Masraf Al Rayan (MAR) Q.S.C Revolut app-based bank 10.5 H H h H Revolut Ltd ICICI 7.5 H H H H H h h h ICICI Bank Ltd Clydesdale Bank 7 H h h h h h h h h h h H Virgin Money UK PLC Co-op Bank/Smile [S] 7 h H h h h h h h h h H H 0.5 Silver Point/Anchorage Capital Virgin Money 7 H h h h h h h h h h h H Virgin Money UK PLC Yorkshire Bank 7 H h h h h h h h h h h H Virgin Money UK PLC Handelsbanken 6 H H h h h h h h h H h h h Svenska Handelsbanken AB Danske Bank 5.5 H h h h h h h H h h h h h H Danske Bank A/S Bank of Ireland (NI Only) 4.5 H H h h h h h h h h h h h H H Bank of Ireland Group Bank of Scotland 4.5 h H h h h h h H H h h h H H Lloyds Banking Group plc Cater Allen 4.5 H h h h h h H H h h h h H H Banco Santander, S.A. Halifax 4.5 h H h h h h h H H h h h H H Lloyds Banking Group plc Lloyds Bank 4.5 h H h h h h h H H h h h H H Lloyds Banking Group plc Santander 4.5 H h h h h h H H h h h h H H Banco Santander, S.A. TSB 4.5 H H h h h h h h h h h h h H H Banco de Sabadell S.A. Citibank 4 H h h h h h h H H h h h h H H Citigroup Inc Coutts 4 h H h h h h h H H h h h h H H UK Government NatWest 4 h H h h h h h H H h h h h H H UK Government Royal Bank of Scotland 4 h H h h h h h H H h h h h H H UK Government Ulster Bank 3.5 H H h h h h h H H h h h h H H UK Government First Direct 3 h H H h h h h h H H h h h h H H HSBC Holdings plc HSBC 3 h H H h h h h h H H h h h h H H HSBC Holdings plc M&S Money 2 h H H h h h H H H H h h h h H H HSBC/Marks & Spencer Barclays 1.5 H H h H h h H H H h h H H H H Barclays Plc Tesco 1.5 h H H H h H H H H H H h H H Tesco plc Ethiscore (out of 14 + 6 extras) Environmental Reporting Climate Change Pollution & Toxics Habitats & Resources Palm Oil Animal Testing Factory Farming Animal Rights Human Rights Workers’ Rights Supply Chain Management Irresponsible Marketing Arms & Military Supply Controversial Technologies Boycott Call Political Activity Anti-Social Finance Company Ethos Product Sustainability USING THE TABLES Ethiscore: the higher the score, the better the company. Scored out of 14. Plus up to 1 extra point for Company Ethos and up to 5 extra points for Product Sustainability. Green (good) = 12+ Amber (average) = 11.5–5 Red (poor) = 4.5–0 H = worst rating h = middle rating = best rating/no criticisms found USING THE TABLES Positive ratings (+ve): Company Ethos: e = full mark E = half mark Product Sustainability: Various positive marks available depending on sector. Best Buys are highlighted in blue