Investing with climate change in mind

January 2, 2013 11:45 AM

What are some investments or places that discuss investing with climate change in mind. What I mean by this is, what are some funds or investments that I should look into as the reality of climate change starts to sink in and its effects gradually become more noticeable.

Whenever I search google for this, I get people suggesting investments in 'socially responsible funds' and the like, which is great but a fund with a social purpose is not the same as a fund that accepts climate change will happen, attempts to predict the financial trends that will occur and makes investments with those trends in mind.

posted by mulligan to work & money (7 answers total)

Depending on your time frame, you may want to consider investing in countries, excluding Russia, that abut the Arctic Circle.

I say excluding Russia because its laws are less predictable than those of the US, Canada, and other arctic countries.
posted by dfriedman at 11:51 AM on January 2

Also, this book may be worth a read.
posted by dfriedman at 11:51 AM on January 2

Canada might be double winner in climate change. The oil extraction in arctic north is getting easier and climate could become better for farming industry.
posted by zeikka at 11:59 AM on January 2 [1 favorite]

Weather Derivatives.
posted by empath at 12:06 PM on January 2

You should research TIMOs and timber REITs. Their foresters plan for shifting market trends and ecological changes.
posted by release the hardwoods! at 12:12 PM on January 2

You could look for investments in Clean Technology or Green Technology.

One of the problems is that climate change is an extremely slow process. We're talking decades. By contrast, investment instruments usually have horizons of months or quarters. So if you are trying to invest in climate change, you're more likely to actually be investing in something like "US legislative and regulatory responses to climate change".

But clean/green tech might be good places to start.
posted by alms at 12:16 PM on January 2

Further to dfriedman and zeikka's comments, here's an interesting WSJ article on the "New North".

Today, scientists studying oil and gas potential—and how shrinking summer sea ice might make it easier to access offshore deposits—are convincing governments and investors that the region has rising strategic value. Private companies have snapped up Canada's northernmost railroad and port of Churchill, bought $2.8 billion in Arctic offshore energy leases, and begun developing specialized tanker ships and platforms for offshore drilling in icy environments. This year, Russia and Norway resolved a four-decade-long boundary dispute in the Arctic Ocean, which could pave the way to more offshore development. Canada, Norway and Russia are bolstering their militaries with ice-strengthened patrol ships, frigates, attack submarines and fighter jets.

posted by mireille at 12:28 PM on January 2