29 Apr What is Divesting?

Posted at 21:15h in Blog, Fossil Free Investing by
We live in a rapidly changing world. The climate crisis is something we’re actively contending with. Movements for gun control, gender equality and racial equity are also gaining steam. Awareness of the issues facing humanity is spurring the divestment movement, as more investors begin to ask questions about what their money is funding.
Simply put, divestment means taking your money out of the ‘bad stuff,’ whether that’s fossil fuels, tobacco, arms, or any industry that doesn’t align with your personal values.

Globally, divesting from fossil fuels is gaining traction, with divestments from fossil fuels recently surpassing $8 trillion. However, the fossil fuel industry isn’t the only sector seeing an exodus of investors. Divesting is happening on a broader spectrum, from arms manufacturers to private prisons to junk food.

There are two main motivators for divestment. The first is financial; investors are waking up to the real risk of ‘stranded assets.’ The International Energy Association has estimated that more than $1 trillion in oil assets is set to become stranded in the ground – these are lost sales made by oil companies to the end consumer. This risk is making investors think twice before investing in fossil fuel companies, which traditionally were considered a safe investment.

The second motivator for divesting is ethical. Investors are increasingly looking to align their investments with their values. For example, investors that are environmentally conscious are more likely to divest from fossil fuels.

If you’re an investor re-evaluating your portfolio, you can begin by asking yourself: do you know what types of projects your investments are supporting now? And what causes do you care about, and would like to support?
Contact us below, if you would like to speak to a Portfolio Manager at Genus about how to divest or align your investments with your values.

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