Green Investing: Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is This Earth Month

Earth Month once meant cleaning up the schoolyard and learning how trees benefit the environment. But as an adult living during the climate crisis, celebrating Earth Month doesn’t feel as uplifting as it once did. It may make you feel the opposite: powerless. 

If you’re feeling powerless in the face of climate change, we have a suggestion: ever heard of “green investing”? Green investing or “eco-investing” is a form of socially responsible investing where investors put their money into companies and portfolios that support or provide environmentally friendly products and practices. It lets you put your money where your heart is, and support environmentally friendly projects and businesses that resonate with your passions and lifestyle choices. 

In 2022, green investing was dubbed a “mega-trend,” and in 2023, the Canadian Responsible Investment Trends Report found responsible investing was a priority for Canadian investors. 

So, this year, how do you get in on the environmentally friendly action? The Wealthsimple Green Bond ETF is a great place to start. These are bonds where the proceeds are required to be used for green purposes. And if you’re unsure of what a Green Bond is, we’ve got you covered. 

GREEN BONDS

A Green Bond is a type of fixed-income instrument intended to raise money for climate and environmental projects. These bonds represent a pivotal shift in investing and allow you to support environmentally friendly projects while potentially earning returns (a win-win!). 

The Wealthsimple Green Bond ETF is designed to track the performance of the Solactive Green Bond Index which includes bonds issued by governments, municipalities, and corporations to finance environmentally friendly projects and initiatives. This bond is a collection of bonds that support various green initiatives around the world, to balance against risk. 

A SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTING PORTFOLIO

Not interested in Green Bonds? A socially responsible investing portfolio is another option to maximize returns, minimize fees and help you invest without compromising on what matters to you. We like Wealthsimple’s Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) because it’s diversified, and built for growth, and the proprietary ETFs (WSRI and WSRD) are screened for environmental and social impact while remaining as diversified as possible. 

RETURNS: WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

This Earth Month, remember, you’re not completely powerless. If you have extra funds, green investing is a meaningful way you can contribute to a greener, cleaner future. There are many options for green investing, but Wealthsimple’s Green Bond is a great option. It’s considerably more cost-efficient than any similar Green Bond ETF in existence and provides individual investors (like you!) a steady income over the life of your bond, while also contributing to a greener planet. Now that’s what we call a world-friendly win!