By: Neerja Caprihan
Who would have thought that pure air would start becoming a luxury one day? Pollution is one of those great equalizers these days. No country has been spared. As per WHO data, almost all of the global population (99%) breathes air that exceeds WHO guideline limits1. Medical research has seen advancements to fight off diseases that have been responsible for untimely loss of human lives in the past centuries. It is ironic how an evolved humankind is contributing to give rise to newer medical challenges, respiratory or otherwise, in the modern world.
The sources are too many to count. There are fires – wildfires in forests, burning of vegetation in plains, and the use of fires in heating, lighting and cooking in rural areas. There are industries – that openly or covertly regurgitate pollutants and deprioritise waste management. There are transport systems – which are struggling to innovate to curb emissions with each subsequent phase of development. There is technology – which leaves behind massive carbon footprints in multiple small and not-so-small ways. There are construction activities – thoughtless, unplanned, rampant, and showing no signs of stopping. The same is true for celebrations – fireworks, candles, and all sorts of displays that contribute to the periodic dip in air quality. The list can go on.
And what makes all of these worse is that piece of the puzzle that has the maximum effect – deforestation and shrinking of green spaces. For the longest time, these were the shields to protect from the effects of increasing environmental degradation by neutralising the damage slowly and steadily. But it does not help that the destructive elements are getting progressively larger and stronger, while the protective ones are becoming smaller and weaker. The pandemic brought to fore several realities, amongst them was the sanctity and importance of pure oxygen. If one had to come up with the one basic thing that sustains all living beings, this is it, and literally so.
“Climate change and air quality cannot be addressed in isolation. They go hand-in-hand and must be tackled together in order to protect the health of our planet, our communities and our economies,” says WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett 2.
And that’s why socially responsible portfolios form a significant part of our repertoire of offerings. Because being a socially conscious, and a socially conscientious, global citizen just makes so much sense. Check out offerings dedicated to clean air, pure water, land health, and several others. Why not give socially responsible investing a go today?
PHOTO CREDIT: https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Dee60141735
VIA SHUTTERSTOCK
FOOTNOTES AND SOURCES
1 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health
2 https://wmo.int/news/media-centre/wmo-air-quality-and-climate-bulletin-highlights-vicious-cycle
DISCLOSURES:
Covestor Ltd, also known and doing business as Interactive Advisors, is an Interactive Brokers Group Company. It is an investment advisor registered with and regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training nor does it imply endorsement by the SEC. Interactive Advisors is not registered in any jurisdiction outside the United States. This website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a solicitation or advertisement in any jurisdiction other than the United States. See important Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy Notice on our Forms and Agreements page.
Nothing in this article should be construed as a solicitation or offer or recommendation to buy or sell any security or as an attempt to provide any investment advice. Investment advice is only provided to investors who become clients pursuant to an investment management agreement. Past performance is no guarantee of future results, and all investments, including those in this portfolio, involve the risk of loss, including loss of principal and a reduction in earnings.
The ESG variants of the Socially Responsible Investing portfolios use an Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) investment strategy. Such a strategy could limit the types and number of investment opportunities available to this portfolio, lead the portfolio to underperform a portfolio without an ESG focus or with a distinct ESG focus, and result in the portfolio investing in securities or industry sectors that underperform the market as a whole or foregoing opportunities to invest in securities that might otherwise be advantageous to invest in. Interactive Advisors could also be unsuccessful in creating a portfolio investing in stocks of companies or ETFs made up of companies that exhibit positive or favorable ESG characteristics and the ETF manager (or the provider of the index the ETF seeks to track) may not succeed in selecting issuers that exhibit positive or favorable ESG characteristics in constructing the ETFs.
The content of this page is offered for informational purposes only, does not constitute investment advice, and is not an offer to buy or sell any security or invest in any of our portfolios.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results, nor is it indicative of future performance. All investments in financial markets involve risk, including the risk of loss, such as a loss of principal and reduction in earnings.
