The biggest private landowner in Britain, the National Trust, recently dedicated a considerable portion of its current assets towards a new testing ground for brand-new ideas on ways to combat climate change.
Through its endowment fund, the UK heritage charity has made what it is referring to as “moonshot” bets on a wide range of technologies, including the production of low-carbon cement to environmentally friendly aircraft fuels. These holdings account for approximately 10 per cent of the Trust’s total investments and are one part of its present strategy to achieve net-zero emissions across its investment portfolio by the year 2030. If it achieves its target, it will hit next zero two decades before the UK government.
Since COP 26 last year, many investors have rushed to support technologies and companies that are driving the shift towards a clean energy economy. Warnings from scientists about the constantly growing threat of catastrophic global warming has encouraged many to put their funds to good use.
Consumers seeking green investment advice in Chester, London and other major UK cities often look to wealth management companies for support. Wealth managers take time to analyse their clients’ finances and understand their ethics. As a result, they can construct investment portfolios that include assets that match their stance on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.
Although the National Trust’s fund may be a smaller player regarding the assets it holds, its current climate ambitions are exemplary. Many of the world’s largest asset managers, insurers and banks have committed to reaching net-zero by 2050 in their portfolios but have revealed no details on how they will achieve their goal.
