Environmental Investing Ideas
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Environmental Investing Ideas

Green Investing

If you’re interested in promoting environmentalism and simultaneously putting your money where your mouth is to back your favorite green technology, then there are plenty opportunities around to do just that.

From wind farms, to alternative fuel sources, solar energy companies and various renewable energy technologies, green investing has become huge over the past decade or so.

There are far too many to look at individually. But the beauty of this form of investing for environmentalists is the ability to direct capital in the direction you truly believe in.

Let’s consider a couple of interesting environmental investment ideas…

First off, how about trying to make a little money by aligning your interests with the greatest investor of all time, Warren Buffett, whilst trying to encourage the world to buy low emission cars?

In 2008, Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway investment group took a major stake in the Chinese company BYD listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

Mr. Buffett is a little up on his investment so far as the company struggles to introduce an all-electric car by the year 2010, the E6, in the USA.

BYD has suffered various delays and setbacks in trying to achieve its goal. Buffett paid around HK$8 a share for his investment, but you can still join him at around HK$15 a share to support the company as it struggles to make sure that its new car offers a viable green alternative for the biggest gas-guzzlers on the planet. Or maybe you’d rather a green energy investing strategy…

More Green Investing Ideas

Alternatively, how about an intriguing green investment in wave technology? Listed on the Australian stock exchange, Carnegie Wave Energy Limited could be on the crest of a big future. The company is fully focused on developing and commercializing its patented wave energy technology, which is capable of producing sufficient zero-emission power and direct desalinated water, from one operation.

The company reckons that wave energy globally is capable of supplying between 50% and 200% of the world’s current power consumption – and points out that approximately 60% of the world’s population lives within 60 kilometers of a coast.

Also, a few companies specializing in developing carbon credits are also going cheap after the summer sell-off. UK-listed Camco has two decades’ worth of experience in working with companies and governments in China, the US, Africa, Russia and South-east Asia in developing emission reduction and clean energy projects. The company has recently made a move into converting cow manure from a dairy farm in Idaho into clean electricity.

Alternatively, there are quite a few investment trusts around that offer lower risk, pooled investments in green technologies. The disadvantage of this form of investment is the lack of ability to direct your money in the way you want it to go, but then they’re a lot safer.


Photo Credit: Opportunist Magazine

JT (423 Posts)

Just living life in Portland, Oregon and enjoying every day that goes by. I love the environment, and I love community, and I love being able to share my experiences and perspective with the world. Follow @EnvironmentBlog


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  • http://www.arushofgreen.co.uk O.C. Heaton

    I really like the idea of investing in wave technology and I hope that in the future it is something that we will start to consider as a serious and viable option to cut our emissions.

    However, I must admit that I question your focus on electric vehicles as I don't believe that they really are cutting emissions. What everyone seems to be forgetting is that in most countries, electricity is generated by coal, one of the dirtiest fossil fuels around.

    I believe that our best chance of aiding the environment is fusion power. Fusion presents us with the possibility of a near-limitless, pollution-free and cheap source of energy that could power human development for many centuries to come. Last year, the ground was broken in Southern France to build the world’s largest and most advanced fusion power reactor: the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor – or ITER.

    The downside of fusion power is the cost, which currently stands at a staggering €15 billion for the building of ITER. If we could invoke some way of investing in fusion, and the build of other fusion generators across the world, i.e. a global environmental tax to help subsidise the projects, then I believe we would start to see the benefits sooner rather than later. The question is how do we do this?!

  • Charity

    I didn't know about coal being used to generate electricity. I also haven't heard of fusion power. It sounds interesting. But, I wonder if it's stable or not. Good points : )

  • http://www.greenworldbvi.com green investments

    Some good ideas here. Our firm (www.greenworldbvi.com) actually specializes in these kinds of investments. Whilst many investments in this category are through stock UCITS or mutual funds, stock funds still carry the risk of great fluctuations and instability (especially in this emerging area). Hence,we focus on DIRECT INVESTMENTS into such projects as farmland, forestry, renewable energy and carbon credits. All reasonably low minimums, so targeted at retail investors. Its awesome to see an article like this though – our motto is :"go green and make green":)

  • insightgroupplc

    Miscanthus Giganteus has been categorised as a “wonder” crop of the future, with energy efficiency qualities and a known leader in the biofuels market.

    N.C State University has been studying five acres of the energy crop at the Mountain Research Horticultural Research station and have found that energy grasses are set to be the most favourable crop for interested farmers.

    Miscanthus Giganteus once established can yield for up to 20-years with low year-on-year maintenance. Miscanthus produces more than 2½ times the ethanol of corn and yielding 2-4 times more dried tonnes than Switchgrass. An acre of the energy crop can produce 12-1 tons of biomass, producing around 1,200 gallons of ethanol fuel.

    Steven Burke, president of the Biofuels Center of North Carolina said that it is not impossible to achieve the policymaker’s ambitious goal of producing 10 percent of the state’s transportation fuels from ethanol sources.” But he cautioned that it can only be achieved with a state that is peppered with biofuels facilities.

    Miscanthus standing 20 feet high attracted around 50 interested biofuels experts, farmers and academics to the research station to evaluate the potential for the grass. The rapid growth, low mineral content and high biomass yield has propelled Miscanthus to the top biofuel product in the U.S. http://www.insightgroupplc.com

  • http://a1000ideas.com Jesper Hejlesen

    Im really happy to read that there are people out there thinking about investing in environmental technology and ideas, I myself get ideas related to that issue from time to time, so here in Denmark the market has always been good for getting financial support for green ideas, but Denmark is a small country so there is a need of "bigger" money on green tech.
    Some of my "green" ideas

  • http://vikramsolar.com/home HK Chaudhary

    Investing on solar panels, which you can use for domestic purposes, is probably one of the best ways you can become a 'green investor'. And of course, the rewards are long-term, always!