September 25, 2012

You Are Better Off Investing in Sustainability Than Stocks

By
Jim Harris
Magazine Article

It is surprising just how big is the “sustainability” opportunity is.

In just the energy efficiency (EE) field McKinsey & Company estimates that $2 trillion can be invested in EE by 2020 with an internal rate of return (IRR) of 17 per cent. To put that into perspective: that rate of return is better than investing in the stock market or in real estate over the long-term — the two investments we’re always told give the best long-term returns.

The net effect would be equivalent to cutting the need for 64 million barrels of oil a day — about one and a half times today’s entire U.S. consumption.

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