Balancing profitability and environmental responsibility

What if you could transform your investment portfolio into one that meets or exceeds financial expectations and also yields a long-term positive environmental impact? What if that portfolio was as unique as your family heritage and could serve as a model of what “great and green” looks like in terms of building a lasting legacy?
If that’s something that appeals to you, you’re not alone. Interest in sustainable, responsible and impact (SRI) investing is continuing to rise. According to the US SIF Foundation’s 2016 Report on US Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing Trends, as of year-end 2015, more than one in every five dollars under professional management in the United States—approximately $8.72 trillion—was invested following SRI strategies. Moreover, a recent JP Morgan Chase report has identified conservation impact investments—those intended to return principal or generate profit while also driving positive impact on natural resources and supporting ecosystems—as an important emerging market.
What does that mean for you? If you are like most of the clients Conservation Economics (CE) works with, you recognize the importance of concepts such as SRI and conservation impact investing as a dynamic and innovative part of your portfolio and your legacy. But like many landowners, you may have encountered some who maintain the outdated view that conservation occurs at the expense of financial return, and others who don’t understand the opportunities that natural resource assets provide—or the risks involved when properties are mismanaged or decisions are made for short-term gain.

A failed effort from a limited approach can damage natural resources in such a way that it could take decades for them to recover. In fact, landscape/legacy restoration is a major concern of many of our clients.
Professionals who have broad experience in understanding the financial, social and environmental needs of landowners such as families; family offices; local, state and federal governments; and public and private companies and their local communities can help you benefit from contemporary strategies. They can show you how to look beyond the traditional “bottom line” measure of profits to the “triple bottom line”—how today’s conservation impact strategies can make a lasting positive impact on people, the planet and portfolios. Then, they can leverage their experience to identify solutions that not only reflect your individual goals and values, but also benefit all stakeholders into the future.
New technologies, tax implications and emerging markets are making “great and green” a reality. It is possible for conservation initiatives to achieve positive financial returns through reduced management costs and increased revenue. You can find an excellent overview of SRI investing—and access the report cited above—by visiting the US SIF Foundation’s web page.