But for all that the sector has expanded, in both strategies and scale, it remains an area which sits on the periphery. There are still comparisons drawn between ‘sustainable’ or ‘ethical’, or whatever you call it (of which more later), and ‘normal’ funds which simply try to do well.

Interest has been on the rise for some time and opportunities are growing. Most importantly, returns are beginning to flow back to investors, answering critics who often pointed to a lack of demonstrable performance - and boosting the view of those like me, who believe one day investing sustainably will just be, well, ‘investing’.

In this special report we will give a run down of the various monikers given to sustainable sectors, an overview of performance into where to look for comparison and some longer term success stories, and focus on renewable energy in the context of government policy incentives.

This special report is sponsored by Alliance Trust Investments. All editorial is independent.