The Secret to Sustainable Investing  

Our planet is under a constant barrage of environmental stresses, human negligence, and overall taxing of critical resources.  We need companies who care about the place we live to invest in projects that contribute to cleaner water, land and air; healthier food that our planet produces; clean, efficient renewable energy: and the reduction and repurposing of waste streams. These are the systems and sectors that will ensure our environment stays viable and sustainable for generations to come.

Investors who can follow principles of responsible growth and development will thrive not only in the financial returns, but also in growing sustainable resources to keep the planet healthy:

• A Virtuous Circle: Sustainable businesses procure from lowest impact sources, use materials with maximum efficiency, recycle where possible, and design for reuse from the outset.
• Transition Matters: the migration to a 100% sustainable economy will take time. A new cleaner, more efficient approach is positive, even when involving “older” technologies and materials.
• Waste is Expensive: whether taxed or just vented into the “commons,” waste has costs to the economy and society. Dirty air, poisoned soil, and polluted water harm everyone; taxes on carbon, toxics, CO2, or pollution cost businesses and consumers. Less waste is better business: to the extent feasible, a critical design element in any process is the reduction of waste.
• Water is Central: No other natural resource is more important than fresh water. All life literally depends on it. Availability of water is diminishing, thus creating rich opportunities for being more efficient, capturing storm water, cleaning contaminated water, recycling waste water, and more efficient use in agriculture.
• Reducing Methane is Critical: While the focus is on reducing carbon (which is important!) methane remains one of the most damaging greenhouse gases. Reducing its production, recovering and burning it for energy, or otherwise sequestering it is an essential element of a sustainable future.

In fact, at Ultra Capital, these principles guide how we view our charter for investing. It’s based on a simple idea:  If we invest into a valuable resource and take care of it for the long term, it will generate better returns. Our mission is to accelerate the flow of capital into key resources we depend on daily, and our investment practice mandates that long-term results should consider impacts on the environment upon which we all depend.