Why invest in renewable energy?

Money magazine came by and asked for our thoughts on why investors need to look at renewable energy. Australian Ethical invests in renewable energy across its funds, but you will find the highest concentration of renewable investments in its award-winning International Shares Fund, which has a ‘smart energy’ thematic. For the 1 and 3 years ending July 2015, the Fund has returned 22.5% and 27.4% (per annum), respectively, after fees. It is clear to us that global energy policy continues to shift towards supporting a lower emissions-intensive economy. This policy shift is most pronounced in the power generation sector where it can be stated categorically that the majority of advanced nations are seeking to reduce the carbon intensity of their energy sector. Admittedly, some nations are more advanced or ambitious than others, but the direction is the same. Policy direction is thus supportive but more interesting is that the unsubsidised economics of renewable energy has reached that tipping point where adoption has become a simple question of "do you want cheaper electricity or not?". (VIEW LINK)