In February 2023, a sample of 1621 UK students told us about their views on ethical investments and the financial decisions of universities. This sample was collected through the NUS TOTUM cardholder database.

The research was carried out to find out more about what students think about the issues related to our Invest for Change campaign which campaigns for university money to act in the interest of students, not against them.

Some of the key findings from the research are:

• 57% of students agree that universities have a responsibility to address the harmful impact of previous investments by investing in solutions to environmental and social issues
• 80% of respondents think that the potential to maximise benefits for people/communities should be an important factor for their university to consider when making decisions on financial investments and76% of respondents say the same for the potential to maximise benefits for the environment
• Respondents would like to see their universities investing in companies providing affordable basic services including housing, healthcare and education (56%), renewable energy companies (45%), businesses contributing to the sustainable use of resources (40%)

Read the full research report below for more details or check out the Invest for Change campaign.