How to Make Sustainable Investments on the Stock Market

Julie Starr • March 3, 2022

Investing your money is a great way to secure your future and build your wealth, as an individual , or an organization. While considering companies with a good market cap , you should also consider green investing. If you are trying to lead a more sustainable life, it is important to consider where you are making your investments. By investing in green stocks, you can put your money to good use and support companies that have a favorable impact on the environment by committing to certain acts, such as pollution reduction, conservation of natural resources, and other environmentally friendly practices.

Here is some more information to help you get started with green investments.

How to find sustainable investments

Unfortunately, there is no one definition of the term “green” or “sustainable”, but there are many different factors that can qualify an investment as environmentally friendly and are often open to interpretation.

Look for certifications

Firstly, many companies with green practices tend to get the relevant certifications that provide proof. This is a great factor to look out for. There are also investments that are grouped together under the umbrella of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and socially responsible investing (SRI) which set out criteria that businesses need to meet. This can be helpful to help you get started.

Research company practices and investments

Alternatively, if you have the time, you can research a variety of companies to see what kind of initiatives they are involved in. Their business may not sell a sustainable solution, but many companies seek to improve the environment by engaging in eco-friendly research, energy-saving technology, developing sustainable alternatives to materials such as plastics, reducing pollution, and much more.

There are also a variety of businesses and start-ups that are created with the intention of developing alternative solutions themselves, such as materials and energies. These companies with strong environmental commitments are easy to spot and are a great investment to make.

Bonds

There is a range of green bonds available on the market, which represent loans to help finance green projects that are created to benefit the environment, typically run by companies or the government. These are typically made attractive with added tax incentives for the investors.

Mutual funds

Mutual funds, such as the TIAA-CREF Social Choice Equity Fund (TICRX) are a great way to spread your investment across a range of different projects that are designed to help and benefit the environment. This increases your exposure and ensures your investments are put to good use. Some of these projects include innovative renewable energy and other technologies, which is a great way to increase your potential earning profit.

Just with any investment on the market, you are taking a risk when you invest your money in a green business. With the growth of the eco-friendly market and innovative technology, businesses have been known to return a good profit to investors.

Green investments are growing to new heights, as they become more important with the rise in natural disasters, government mandates and the awareness of the current climate crisis. Whether you invest as an individual, or as a business, you can make a difference by choosing to support green initiatives.

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Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • 07 Oct, 2024

Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • 04 Oct, 2024

Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.