If you’ve been paying attention over the past few years, you’ll have noticed that there’s increasing concern about the state of the earth and the changes it might mean for wildlife and mankind’s prosperity. Indeed, the warnings make for bleak reading; things are on course to get pretty chaotic on earth over the next few years. However, it’s not too late. There are a number of companies trying to bring about positive change through innovation and creativity. And how can you help? Why, by investing your cash into these companies, of course.
Put Your Money In Your Beliefs
Investing in companies with the environment at the core of their being is great for two reasons: it allows you to make money and actually contribute your money to causes that you really believe in. Ultimately, if you choose wisely, you’ll be ensuring your future and the earth’s future is both bright! And isn’t that great?
Do Your Homework
That being said, it’s not a matter of finding the latest futuristic concept and throwing your money at it. Every investment requires critical analysis, and no more so than investments into earth friendly companies. That’s because it’s very easy for a company to say they’re green, and have all the right words on their company website, but that doesn’t make them automatically green. Make sure you look into their practices to ensure you’re investing in the right company. Equally, this isn’t charity – you’ll have to believe in their business, too, not just their ethics.
The Changing Tide
The good news is that there really is a changing tide. Society – individuals and companies – is waking up to the importance of doing their bit for the environment, which is beginning to slowly do away with the old and in with the new. Individual homes and industries are heating their home with geothermal drilling rather than traditional heating methods and there’s a rise and rise in electric cars, for instance. Indeed, the overall push to renewable energy is reflected by increasingly unstable fossil fuel stocks.
Old School Beliefs
That being said, it’s not right to think that environmental investing is the thing right now, because it’s not: it’s still small potatoes compared to the real investing that goes on around the world. You probably don’t want to dump your entire portfolio in favor of going green; instead, make it a slow process. You might alo struggle to find investment managers who are all too clued up (or even interested) in the environmental investing market. In such a case, you might have to be your own trailblazer.
Long Term Pay Offs
The biggest myth about environmental investing is that it doesn’t bring high returns. It’s not an easy pay day, that’s for sure, but invest your money properly and you will get a return. Also, bear in mind that this is a long game. The future is not in oil; it’s in renewable energy and other earth friendly practices. Whether it’s 10 years from now or one hundred, all investments will eventually be carbon neutral!
