Investments that can make Earth a better planet

We often talk about the changemaker organizations across the world who are working in the field to secure our planet’s future. Passionate, knowledgeable groups like these organizations, who invest every ounce of their hearts to their cause. There’s another group of organizations too who are making huge progress in their own way to battle the effects of climate change, reduce consumption and save our ecosystems. These corporations are an important cog in the wheel, and with a little investment, they too can increase their contributions to Mother Earth.

Like us, businesses and corporations have a role in solving the climate crisis. And recent years have seen a significant change in the ways companies operate with regards to their actions and the impact they have on the world. Governments too, arguably motivated by the GDP growth that stems from ‘going green’ are starting to support businesses – especially those connected with environmental solutions.

Wind the clock back a couple of decades and we can see the huge change that can occur when governments, business and people pull together. This was when legislation was passed to phase out the incandescent light bulb in favour of the LED bulb, which consumes a fraction of the energy and has a longer life span. Huge savings of energy, just by performing one small action.

Potentially, there’s plenty of solutions out there that could have the same effect.

Alternative plastics

It’s ironic actually that so much bad has come from something that’s actually pretty good. Contrary to popular opinion, plastic is actually one of the more environmentally friendly materials in the world. It’s actually our human behaviour that’s turned it into one of the biggest environmental villains. The attributes of plastic are what makes it good, but also bad.

As a material it’s tough and resilient, it’s clean and hygienic, you can form it, mould it, make all sorts of colors and give it different finishes. What’s more, it’s a very energy-efficient material to recycle and reuse. So what’s all the fuss about? For starters, we’re not the best at recycling it – closing to discard it or dump it rather than save it for recycling. And that’s where its strength and toughness turns it bad because it’s slow to break down and decompose.

It’s also fossil-based, which is a drain on resources. This could be a topic that we could pass over if we managed to create a closed-loop world, where it’s recycled when it’s fulfilled its purpose. But, as we said, we’re not the best at recycling it.

But there are a few solutions out there that are starting to shape up and give plastic better environmental credentials. In fashion, Stella McCartney and Prada are using Econyl, a material created from industrial waste that cuts emissions by 58% compared to nylon. And there are a number of plastic alternatives made from non-fossil based oil that have the same properties as their fossil-based counterparts but are leagues better in terms of consumption of resources.

The food industry is one of the biggest abusers of plastic, a fact that’s well known. But even here we see many corporations pulling away from plastic-based packaging and single-use plastics to greener alternatives made from wood pulps or plant matter.

With our help, perhaps we can make plastic great again?

Water Works

We need water. Good water. This we know, but one of the more surprising statistics is just how much of our water can be put to use by humans. Of all the water on our Earth, just 0.25% is usable! Just think of that number in relation to how many people live on our planet and then factor in how much our population continues to expand. If water is life, we really need to start looking after it.

There’s a lot of good things happening in the water industry. From solutions that make us better at using less of it, like intelligent home solutions and water-saving taps and faucets, to how we can reuse wastewater domestically. In our home settings and the communities where we live, we’re getting far wiser to implement change.

One of the bigger concerns is water pollution, water use and water waste as a result of agriculture. Runoff pollution is a considerable environmental problem that is becoming worsened by the effects of climate change. This is where meltwater picks up pollutants from a surface as it flows towards an outlet (often the ocean).

The good news is that runoff can be reduced with simple measures like planting trees. But also agriculture is developing fast and many hope that the use of harmful fertilisers will reduce to a more manageable place. And there are many companies innovating with lab food production in controlled environments where pollutants are fewer and waste is handled properly.

There are lots of very promising investment opportunities in new agriculture and water management that can give great returns in all respects.

Power Up

Clean and renewable energy is an industry expanding quickly. And this is a really positive fact because we need to drop net emissions to zero.

Renewable energy like wind, tidal and solar are such good alternatives to carbon-based energy systems. If we were to go all-in with renewable energy the impact on net emissions would be huge, and we’d take a big step to build a global energy net that would bring power to the most hard-to-reach areas. It’s not just an environmental benefit either, because renewables are cheaper for the consumer in the long run as well.

A great investment into a greener future.

The Big Clean

As well as reducing our emissions as close to zero as possible, we also need to work on reducing the waste already present. The pollution in the air, on land, in our oceans and waterways, all needs to be cleaned and dealt with to help pull our environment and habitats back into shape.

Our cities, often a big source of pollutants in many forms, are getting smarter. Town planning and logistics are being optimised to reduce heavy traffic, and the industry is getting its head around waste management to reduce emissions. And as people, we’re realising that we can put our own lives into action as tools to fight environmental and climate-related issues. We can switch to cleaner electric suppliers, recycle, use less water…

There’s also plenty of emerging tech that’s geared towards very exciting solutions to capture and store carbon, filter water and alternative transport to make us less reliant on fossil fuels. In this respect, we’re the ones who are investing in ourselves rather than a specific company or business.

Funding the Fight

Investors in business often talk about the return. Long term vs. short term. And if you’re active in investment funds or stocks you’ve probably seen the growth in green funds or stocks. These are specific options for investing money into sectors and selections of companies who are working with or developing good solutions or concepts connected with making the world better. You can also donate to grassroots organizations that are working towards the betterment of the environment and ensuring that your donation will go to work right away.