Green Century Capital Management, in collaboration with Trillium Asset Management and 350.org, has released a new fossil fuel-free investing guide for environmentally and socially conscious investors. Make a Clean Break: Your Guide to Fossil Fuel Free Investing — an update to previous versions released in 2014 and 2013 — provides improved insights and analysis about the potential financial advantages of eliminating fossil fuel corporations from investment portfolios and reinvesting
Green Century Capital Management, in collaboration with Trillium Asset Management and 350.org, has released a new fossil fuel-free investing guide for environmentally and socially conscious investors. Make a Clean Break: Your Guide to Fossil Fuel Free Investing — an update to previous versions released in 2014 and 2013 — provides improved insights and analysis about the potential financial advantages of eliminating fossil fuel corporations from investment portfolios and reinvesting in clean, sustainable and solutions-oriented investments that are advancing the transition toward a zero-carbon economy.
“Given the current political and regulatory environment, we are seeing more investors looking for ways get off the sidelines and use their investments to help make a positive impact,” said Green Capital president Leslie Samuelrich.
“Taking action on climate change through divestment has never been more important — or easier to implement,” added Matt Patsky, CEO and Portfolio Manager at Trillium Asset Management. “Every individual, family and institution should take the time to review the options available and steps to take. We believe this guide offers a concrete action plan to set the wheels in motion.”
Whether investors invest on their own, through an employee-sponsored 401k, or a financial intermediary such as a Financial Advisor, the guide offers specific steps individuals can take to start investing fossil fuel-free. Inside the guide, readers will find:
- A special introduction by 350.org founder Bill McKibben
- Four reasons to avoid coal, oil and gas companies
- How to divest, which offers a suite of online resources to help individuals divest and reinvest fossil fuel free
- An introduction to reinvesting in clean, sustainable investments
Investments that consider environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria have gained favor in recent years. In addition to the actionable measures investors can take to invest fossil fuel free, the new guide explains how consideration of ESG criteria or “low-carbon” products are not synonymous with fossil fuel-free or social, responsible and impact (SRI) investing.
“Sustainable investing continues to grow in the U.S., and in addition to serving as a resource about how to invest fossil fuel free, we hope this guide helps investors understand that ESG, SRI and fossil fuel-free are not the same and can vary significantly across firms and products,” Samuelrich said.
“We can’t stand by waiting for our governments to do the right thing,” McKibben said. “Divesting sends one clear message globally: it is time to end the age of fossil fuels because that’s what it really means to solve the climate crisis.”
Published Apr 19, 2017 11pm EDT / 8pm PDT / 4am BST / 5am CEST