Impact Investing 101 — Impact investing. It’s a buzzword for sure – but do you really know what it means?
We at DGI are big proponents of investing our money with the intention of creating a positive environmental effect at the same time we look for returns. That’s just one kind of impact investment, and if you’re interested, the opportunities to do good while doing well are plentiful these days.
We’re drawn to advances in addressing water quality, water scarcity and plastic pollution, among others. Wherever you think the world needs help, you can probably find a sector, an industry, a technology, an investment fund or leading causes and their people to invest in.
Some 85 percent of individual investors and 95 percent of millennials are interested in sustainable options for investing, according to a recent report from the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing, which surveyed 1,000 active investors across the U.S., as reported by CNBC.com.
“Climate change is the top reason given for interest in sustainable investing, according to Morgan Stanley’s report,” the CNBC article says. “Investors want to buy into companies they believe are good environmental stewards, or at least not actively harmful.”
Most if not all of the major brokerages, including Vanguard, Fidelity and Schwab, can advise investors on socially responsible investment (SRI) and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) funds. Investors can also research “sustainability” ratings for funds and indexes on Morningstar and other sites.
To really dig in and learn about options out there, see CNBC Money Reporter Alicia Adamczyk’s excellent primer.