Time for a 'plan B' on ethical pension investment.

(From Guardian Unlimited)

Who are the greenest of the big British high street chains? A lot of people would put the Co-op and Marks & Spencer at the top. Certainly the Co-op and M&S would. The environment is a big seller for both of them.

"The Co-operative is one of the world's leading businesses tackling global climate change", says the Co-op. It claims, even more boldly, that "our approach to tackling climate change has been acknowledged as the best in the UK". It is running a campaign with the environment group WWF to oppose tar sands. "Stop the expansion of toxic fuels" is the main headline on the "ethics in action" page of its website.

Meanwhile, in almost every shopping mall in the land, M&S has been filling its front windows with posters about its "Plan A ... our five-year 100-point 'eco' …