Tech firms still failing ethics test

FTSE4Good, an index of socially responsible companies, has revealed the latest movers and shakers in its listing.

In total, 51 new entries have met the criteria of the prestigious list, while three have dropped out. Among the companies admitted to the list are Corus, the National Grid and sugar giant Tate & Lyle - for a second year running there was a poor showing from the beleaguered technology sector.

The index informs investors which companies are a socially responsible investment. This means any company involved in unethical overseas investment, damaging the environment, in breach of equal opportunities legislation or without comprehensive employee training schemes and flexible working policies will find itself overlooked by FTSE4Good.

Last year, major UK tech firms such as Autonomy, Psion, Redbus, Redstone and Telewest were all missing from the list (see http://www.silicon.com/a47478 for more). This year only Telewest has shown improvement and qualified.