Investing for a cleaner planet

23-06-2010 | For the Triodos Sustainable Investment funds and Private Banking we select companies under three ‘themes’ of sustainable products and services:  ‘climate protection’, ‘clean planet’ and ‘healthy people’. A fourth category is ‘pioneers’ in corporate social responsibility (csr), companies that have outstanding sustainability performance in their sectors.

Companies that contribute to a cleaner planet are, for instance, companies that develop technologies for the cleaning and purifying of air, water or soil, for recycling and waste management and for saving resources such as water and energy. Best Water Technology, Kadant and EnerNOC are good examples of companies that fall under the theme ‘clean planet.’

Best Water Technology

Best Water Technology of Austria is an excellent example of a company that contributes to a cleaner planet by providing technologies that deliver safe, hygienic and healthy water. A rising population, increasing urbanisation and climate change are immense challenges for the water sector.

Best Water Technology specialises in innovative, ecological and efficient technologies that provide its customers with state-of-the-art water treatment for drinking water or water for industrial use. 

Kadant

Kadant, from the United States, specialises in environmental and recycling technologies for the paper industry. The company provides recycling equipment, software and water management technologies that make a significant contribution to a more resource-efficient and sustainable paper industry. With some 1600 employees, the company develops and produces recycling equipment and systems, and also has its own pulp and paper factories with advanced closed water circuits that save significant amounts of water in the production process. The company also produces building materials from waste products, including plastics. With its technologies for recycling of materials in the paper and building sectors, Kadant contributes to waste management and a more sustainable use of resources.

EnerNOC

An interesting company in the field of efficient energy use is EnerNOC. This US company provides intelligent energy solutions to commercial and industrial consumers, power grid operators and utilities companies. Its core product is energy management software that helps its clients to voluntarily and automatically reduce energy demand and consumption, especially during peak usage periods. The company also offers a range of energy management services such as energy analyses, energy procurement and greenhouse gas emission tracking and trading. With its products and services, the company helps its customers to become more aware and efficient energy users. EnerNOC is a carbon neutral company and it has a program to reduce non-renewable energy use in its operations. It also promotes efficient energy use among its employees. 

Note: The issues explored in this article are specifically relevant to sustainable investments on the stock market. Triodos Bank believes that our Socially Responsible Investment funds are a powerful means of promoting our values and working for greater sustainability, while enabling us to offer a complete range of attractive investment options to clients that choose to invest on the stock market.