Someone told me long ago
There’s a calm before the storm
I know, it’s been comin’ for some time
When it’s over, so they say
It’ll rain a sunny day
I know shinin’ down like water
– I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain?”
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Welcome to the next issue of our Digest and Season 2, Episode 2 of our companion PODCAST entitled: It’s All About The Water.
As the movement toward repairing the earth makes headway, we are inspired to believe that serious focus and real progress is underway. The spotlight, at least lately, seems though more likely to focus on carbon reduction and climate change – clearly critical. But clean water for drinking, farming, electricity and industry is also a growing concern around the world. So, what does the future hold, and what about investment opportunities and risks when it comes to water?
Betsy Moszeter, Chief Operating Officer of Green Alpha Advisors, cites a Fidelity paper a few years back entitled: Water, Structural Demand Growth Creates Investing Opportunities. Recognizing, as they say, that “fully one in six gallons of all the fresh water we produce is wasted through old leaky deteriorating infrastructure”, there is much to do. Water is fundamental, not just to the health of the Earths’ ecosystem but also to the health of global economic activity. Unlike oil, there are no alternative sources.
According to The American Society of Civil Engineers in their 2020 report entitled: The Economic Benefits of Investing in Water Infrastructure, “without adequate investment in water systems, people could see higher incidences of illness, hospitalizations, and lost working days… under current investment levels, the nation will spend $1.067 trillion on water infrastructure over the next 20 years”, still perhaps a third of what’s needed, but a significant start.
We hope you find this issue enlightening and educational. We enjoy producing this educational series. Our mission is to make socially inspired and ESG investing more consumer friendly.
Thanks for your interest and please feel free to pass us along to others.
