Modern property investments go far beyond simply looking at the land and the bricks and mortar which is to be built on top of the land. With many individual homes, and by extension entire communities, now being built to meet energy emission goals and be completely sustainable, there are many investment opportunities in associated areas, and particularly with renewable energy sources.
Emission Reductions
It has long been widely accepted by Governments, large corporations, and the global community that “green energy” is going to be the way forward in the long-term. Just to take the United Kingdom as one example, the country is aiming to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. A key part of this is delivering 15% of the UK’s total energy output from renewable sources by the end of the decade.
One major reason why UK renewable energy resources, in particular, are a huge investment opportunity is that the country is a long way behind other countries in developing and using renewable energy. The irony of this is that, with all things considered, the UK has the best resources in the whole of Europe for generating this type of energy. This factor alone makes renewable energy an extremely attractive investment.
Areas for Investment
The two key areas which will need the most investment in coming years are power generation and energy efficiency. With the energy efficiency market booming relative to green power generation, the latter definitely offers the best investment opportunities when it comes to sustainable living. Whether it is in solar panel production, or investing in firms who have interests in the development of wind farms or the use of tidal energy, these all offer attractive investments with the potential for large returns as the industry grows massively in the coming years.
Although up to now we have focussed on renewable energy in the UK, there is no doubt that this is a global opportunity for investment, in many different areas of energy production.
Recycling
One final opportunity for investment in a sustainable industry is to pay attention to recycling businesses around the world. Many countries are now recycling most of their domestic and commercial waste, with very little now being sent to landfill. Again, the UK have fallen behind the rest of Europe in terms of recycling, however this is down to general attitudes in society as well as any shortcomings on the part of the Government. While there are global opportunities, it is likely that the best investment opportunities exist within the UK.
Given the countries’ influence around the world, an investment in the UK could yield great rewards both at home and abroad over the next thirty years.
