An end to investing in firms which experiment on apes, along with those who manufacture arms using depleted uranium, is on the agenda at the Co-op.
The Co-operative Bank has launched a wide-scale review into the ethical financial services sector.
According to the firm, the market leader in the UK's ethical banking sector, their "sustainable" financial model is uniquely well-suited to weathering the current volatility affecting the markets.
The review takes the form of a series of questionnaires, sent out to the Co-op's two million customers. Questions on how the bank's policy should relate to international development, ecology and social enterprise will be prominent in the review - which is the most wide-ranging undertaken by the firm in 16 years.
Among the proposals tabled by the Co-op is a pledge to stop investing in companies which use apes for medical testing and those which manufacture weapons incorporating depleted uranium.
David Anderson, Co-op chief executive, commented: "In the current economic climate we believe it is more important than ever to take an ethical approach to business. Our unique ethical policy has been at the core of our business since 1992 and has proved to be an excellent reflection of our customer's views and an excellent predictor of the general direction of trends in society.
"Our policy has always been at the cutting edge and we wish to remain a progressive business voice."
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