Watch: How philanthropic foundations can invest to improve the planet

Philanthropists and foundations must take much more care to invest their resources for the good of the planet, according to a prominent green investor. In an interview for Devex World, Hari Balasubramanian, co-founder of EcoInvestors Capital, said that philanthropic investors typically give away around 5% of their money each year, while the other 95% is invested in stock markets and similar assets. But if the companies that foundations and philanthropists invest in are harming the environment, then the money invested may do so much harm that it cancels out the good done with the money that is given away. “We need to redefine this premise of what this larger pool of capital can be used for,” he said. “We need to say, ‘hey, wait a second, we can actually drive profit and societal and environmental impact at the same time.’” Many foundations have begun moving their money out of harmful stocks, he said, and some are actively pursuing other tactics to improve companies’ behavior and support the companies that are doing the most to improve the environment.