September 2024 – Investing In Renewable Energy

As the impacts of climate change become more evident, the urgency to transition away from fossil fuels is clear. Investing in renewable energy is crucial for the future of our planet, yet it remains a challenge for many. The Clean Energy Credit Union focuses on making clean energy affordable and accessible to a wide range of people across the U.S. by providing an attainable entry point for individuals to invest in the clean energy movement while advancing sustainability.

Global trends can have a significant impact on a company’s financial performance. That’s why Parnassus invests in industries and companies that are positioned to remain resilient to physical climate risks. Extreme weather is occurring in different forms, posing risks to company operations, assets, workforces and long-term stock performance. While individual risks can be hard to predict, many industries are likely to be affected by extreme weather in multiple ways.

Over the past several decades, the energy system has steadily evolved to include more renewable energy sources. The energy supply is currently mostly fossil fuels and renewables. The fossil fuels are coal, methane, natural gas, and oil. Renewables are solar, wind, hydro, biofuels and nuclear. The biggest users of energy are transport, industry, and buildings. In fact, buildings alone consume 40% of the world’s energy.

Our firm maintains that impact investing is synonymous with a focus on the long-term, since we believe that the businesses and industries that will drive value for investors are those that will help build a more sustainable and equitable future. Consistent with this view and an understanding that the green transition would be full of both economic and impact potential, we have tracked and selectively backed renewables-related companies and funds since our inception in 2013.