National Savings & Investments (NS&I), the government-backed savings provider, has launched its first ever green bonds.

So, what is the deal with these brand-new ethical savings accounts?

Anyone saving via the bond will receive 0.65% AER, fixed for three years. You can save a maximum of £100,000 but start with as little as £100 if you like. The money is locked away for a three-year minimum. Because it is a bond rather than an ISA, interest on the savings is taxable when the bond matures.

What’s green about them?

The bonds are the first directly offered to the public with a ‘green’ focus. The government, with climate change high on the agenda, has begun issuing green gilts to institutional investors, but saw the opportunity for private citizens to get involved as well.

The money raised for the green bonds will go directly towards investments in government green projects and initiatives. Any money the bonds raise will be matched by HM Treasury too.

At the time of writing, there is no further detail on exactly what projects this includes. But the government says it intends to update on this in due course.

How it compares

Savings rates are poor across the board at the moment. But even by these standards, ethical considerations aside, the NS&I green bond is an awful offer.

For a three-year bond the current top offer comes from JN Bank, which offers 1.81% interest over three years. This is followed by Zenith Bank at 1.78% and United Trust Bank at 1.75%.

Ultimately, then, the only reason why you should consider investing in the green bonds is if you are highly motivated to lend your money to the government to aid green projects.

What you should do instead

In reality, even the aforementioned savings rates are poor. The Bank of England recently warned that inflation is headed to 5% by the Spring, which means that any money growing by these rates is still losing value in real terms.

Instead, money that isn’t needed in the near future should be fully invested in markets. While the returns aren’t guaranteed, generally speaking, it is a better long-term approach to wealth growth.

Ethical considerations in investing are an increasingly popular and sought-after approach. Please do get in touch with your adviser if you’d like to learn more.