Episode 106: The Unlikely Intersection of Sustainability and Dividends
All investors are searching for yield, and mitigate risk with the dividend shield. But dividends that have a payment history often come from companies that aren’t quite green. We start from a place of carbon pricing, with a solution for both green and income investors alike.
The Unexpected Intersection of Sustainability and Dividends
Sustainable investing and long-term investing share significant overlap. Investors use both approaches to seek specific positive change over broad periods of time. Without financial returns, sustainable investing is futile, and blue-chip, dividend paying stocks are a critical component of many successful long-term investment strategies. These established companies tend to be more carbon-intensive for a number
Episode 105: The EPA Power Plant Rule
The EPA recently put out a new rule to limit power plant emissions from fossil fuels. The reduction will be nearly 90 percent, but will the return be worth the expense?
An Objective Look at the EPA’s Proposed Power Plant Rule
Big problems require big solutions, and addressing the amount of carbon in our atmosphere is no exception. It is truly global in scale, with both significant investments and substantial economic impact an expectation whether we choose to work toward a solution or sit idle and see what happens. We obviously don’t yet have a solution
The Case for Ignoring Scope 3 Emissions
How focusing on Scope 1 and 2 emissions in the quest for better low-carbon products can create a real and meaningful pathway to net-zero. Fueled by a new generation of investors for whom ESG concerns are top priority, the number of investment products with a focus on sustainability is growing fast and the magnitude of
Few Things Last Forever—Unfortunately, Plastic Comes Close
There’s nothing like a home-cooked meal. Like so many people, we aim for that. But hectic schedules and/or lack of energy to plan, shop, and cook lead us to grab take-out, order delivery, or pick up a roasted chicken from the market, and fairly often. That means bringing home big plastic containers, along with the
Sustainable Water Management
In Pakistan, one-third of the land was submerged after devastating floods. Much of Nigeria is also flooded, and the gulf coast of the United States has been punished with hurricanes and torrential rains. In fact, extraordinary flooding has made headlines several times this year globally, and yet other regions do not have enough. Viral pictures
Shades of Green – Can a Firm Stance iImpede Pprogress?
This summer, the European Parliament endorsed the European Commission’s decision to classify investments in natural gas and nuclear power plants as climate-friendly under the EU taxonomy. For those not familiar with the EU taxonomy, it’s goal is to define which economic activities are “environmentally sustainable” to help protect investors from greenwashing and guide companies to
Food, Glorious Food – But Not When We Waste It
The next time you toss out an overripe banana or search for the “Use By” date on a can that has been in the cupboard for, umm…, a while, think about this: Estimates show that up to one-third of all food produced worldwide is never consumed, and 1.4 billion hectares of land, which represents 28
Investing In Natural Capital
Carbon emissions receive a great deal of attention in conversations about ESG and sustainable investing, and rightfully so. Climate change—caused by CO2 (and methane) emissions that are generated directly or indirectly by human activity—is now having economic and humanitarian consequences that range from dire to catastrophic. But this focus on CO2 emissions can unintentionally downplay
Sustainability and the Circular Economy
The terms “ESG” and “Sustainable/Sustainability” are often used interchangeably, and for the most part that’s okay (we could split hairs on this but will save that for another day). The concept of “sustainability” is, in our view, both simple and profound, and is worth examining consciously. So, let’s do that. In a broad sense, sustainability
Reuse and Refill
Women shouldn’t vote. Seatbelts are optional. Smoking cigarettes is “cool”. It’s okay to drive if you’ve only had a few drinks. Why would you wear a bike helmet? In case you think we’ve gone over to the dark side, these are just a few reminders that societal norms can change. Behaviors that are deeply ingrained
