{"id":61421,"date":"2022-02-22T22:06:44","date_gmt":"2022-02-23T03:06:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.riacanada.ca\/?p=61421"},"modified":"2022-02-23T14:16:25","modified_gmt":"2022-02-23T19:16:25","slug":"how-to-invest-in-anti-consumerism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.riacanada.ca\/wordpress\/magazine\/how-to-invest-in-anti-consumerism\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Invest in Anti-Consumerism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The climate crisis is closing in on us quickly, and at the heart of the climate crisis is consumerism. It is the reason the planet has too much plastic and CO2, losing too many trees, and using more fresh water than the Earth can produce. According to The World Counts<\/a>, on a global scale we need the same as 1.8 Earths to support our demand for resources and absorb our waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If everyone on Earth consumed at the same rate as Western consumers, we would need five Earths to support us. And the number of consumers is growing fast. By 2030, the number of consumers on the planet will be 5.6 billion, compared with 4.3 billion right now. The World Counts defines a consumer as \u201csomeone able to buy goods and services beyond the satisfaction of basic needs. Specifically someone having more than US$10 a day to live on<\/a> \u2013 also referred to as middle class.\u201d If nothing changes, we will be out of fresh water, have no more trees, and no more seafood at some point in the next 30 to 80 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writing about anti-consumerism and responsible investing is not easy. Fundamentally, the general premise of investing is buying companies that you think are going to increase sales, by increasing the production of the goods or services they sell. Investing in anti-consumerism sounds like a paradox. So where is the intersection of investing and anti-consumerism? Is there an intersection?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tech seems like a logical place to start, although the major tech companies can hardly be seen as anti-consumer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple Inc. promotes its goal of being carbon neutral by 2030 and, to its credit, has reduced greenhouse gas emissions every year since 2015, but their primary business is producing and selling phones, tablets, and computers. As a result, they emitted 22.6 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alphabet Inc. (Google\u2019s parent) and Meta Platforms Inc. (owner of the Facebook social media service) make most of their money from advertising, advertisements that promote consumption, while Amazon.com Inc.\u2019s business relies primarily on consumption. The big tech companies obviously serve a valuable purpose, and there is a place for them in some RI portfolios, but not for promoting anti-consumerism. Most tech funds hold some combination of the mega-cap tech players \u2013 if not all of them. Here again, it\u2019s not easy investing with an anti-consumer perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How about food and water companies? Food and water are, first and foremost, basic necessities of human survival, so at the very least food and water companies are providing for human needs as opposed to human wants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That brings us to companies like Xylem Inc., which focuses on creating \u201csustainable, efficient, and autonomous water systems\u201d by increasing the use of technology and data analytics. Then there is Halma plc<\/a>, which brands itself as a \u201cglobal group of life saving technology companies,\u201d including a group of water analysis and treatment companies. One of these is Hydreka, which produces equipment and software for water optimization and monitoring. Helma (and its subsidiaries, like Hydraka) is a component in the iShares Global Water Index ETF<\/a> (TSX: CWW), which tracks the S&P Global Water Index, providing \u201cexposure to 50 companies from around the world that are involved in water related businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of food companies, there are many related to agriculture and fertilizer, but an easy argument can be made that they actually contribute to overconsumption, and it\u2019s a fact that they contribute significant greenhouse gas emissions. A study from the University of Michigan found that 10%-30% of a household\u2019s carbon emissions come from food<\/a>, and according to the UN\u2019s Food and Agriculture Organization, almost 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from animal agriculture<\/a> \u2013 65% of that is from beef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we eat is important in the fight against climate change. Two of the bigger companies that provide meat alternatives are Beyond Meat Inc. and Impossible Foods. Beyond Meat is publicly traded but Impossible Foods is not, so I\u2019ll focus on Beyond Meat here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number-one ingredient in Beyond Meat\u2019s \u201cBeyond Burger\u201d product is pea protein, which results in significantly lower GHG emissions to produce than beef. According to Our World in Data, the production of 100 grams of beef protein results in 50 kg of GHG emissions, while 100 grams of pea protein results in 0.44 kg of GHG emissions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond Meat commissioned the University of Michigan to study the lifecycle of the Beyond Meat Burger<\/a> and found that \u201cthe Beyond Burger generates 90% less greenhouse gas emissions, requires 46% less energy, has >99% less impact on water scarcity and 93% less impact on land use than a \u00bc pound of U.S. beef.\u201d The Desjardins SocieTerra Positive Change Fund currently lists Beyond Meat as a holding. Hopefully more get on board once Beyond Meat gets more established.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investing in anti-consumerism is not easy, but it\u2019s not impossible. As responsible investors, the bottom line is that we need to look at what our investments are producing and how they promote consumerism, or better yet how they don\u2019t promote consumerism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Contributor Discalimer
<\/em><\/strong>\u00a9 2022 by Fundata Canada Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part by any means without prior written permission is prohibited. Commissions, management fees, and expenses all may be associated with investment funds. Please read the simplified prospectus before investing. Funds are not guaranteed and are not covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any other government deposit insurer. There can be no assurances that a fund will be able to maintain its net asset value per security at a constant amount or that the full amount of your investment in the fund will be returned to you. Fund values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. The foregoing is for general information purposes only and is the opinion of the writer. No guarantee of performance is made or implied. This information is not intended to provide specific personalized advice including, without limitation, investment, financial, legal, accounting or tax advice.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RIA Disclaimer<\/strong><\/em>
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view or position of the Responsible Investment Association (RIA). The RIA does not endorse, recommend, or guarantee any of the claims made by the authors. This article is intended as general information and not investment advice. We recommend consulting with a qualified advisor or investment professional prior to making any investment or investment-related decision.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The climate crisis is closing in on us quickly, and at the heart of the climate crisis is consumerism. It is the reason the planet has too much plastic and CO2, losing too many trees, and using more fresh water than the Earth can produce. 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