A survey by “Bankrate” found that only 33% of people under 30 held any stocks or investments in the United States. The reasons for this cited many different causes but it ultimately came down to one thing: individuals felt like they just didn’t have enough money. Millennials can’t seem to win, either they’re not investing at all or being criticized for investing too conservatively when they do invest but as it happens, it turns out that they’re just investing later than traditional investors usually do and they have the “baby-boomers” to thank for it.
There is something of an investment boom happening thanks to Millenials that have inherited wealth from the baby-boomer generation (estimates put this amount at around $30 TRILLION) and this is causing an upswing in investments at later stages of life, but what’s really interesting is the type of investments that a big section of the Millenial investors is investing in and you may have guessed it, sustainable projects and funds are leading the charge and investment that goes to companies that focus on empowerment issues cracking the top of the list as well. Women in business are also increasingly becoming not just more visible, but securing big funds support in their endeavors.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change is at the top of the list for “conscious investors” with mutual funds and shares in companies that are developing climate-positive technology, repair systems, or projects to reduce the use of fossil fuels raking in upwards of $1 Trillion.
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
Green infrastructure is a network that provides the ingredients for solving urban and climatic challenges by building with nature. Green infrastructure projects are concerned with stormwater management, climate adaptation, reducing heat stress and increased biodiversity, green food production, improving air quality, and sustainable energy production projects. Some amazing advances have already been made in several cities that have taken this approach to plan urban spaces.
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Millennials are not only reshaping the investment landscape. Still, they are also driving the adoption of eco-friendly solutions, such as solar panels for home use , transforming how we generate and consume electricity.
Think self-driving, solar-powered “pods”, hyperloop ultra-fast underground transportation, and motorcars made with superlight materials. These projects reflect the changing values and consciousness of Millenial investors.
THE FLYING V AIRCRAFT
So technically this would fall under the sustainable transport section, but it is so cool that it deserves its spot. All major airline manufacturers are working on variations of design and some private contenders are entering the market besides. Read this article from the BBC here. These projects are attracting significant investors through sustainable stocks and mutual funds trades.
SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY
To make all of the green ideas for future work, we’re also going to need the technology to get us there and for these projects to claim true green status, the technology itself has to be sustainable too and this is giving rise to companies that are specifically set up to attract investment and then to direct that investment towards the development of green technology, it’s incredibly fascinating stuff.
Along with the projects, funds, and ideas that are attracting Millenial investors, the way in which Millenials are making investments is changing too. Many choosing to do the investing themselves instead of using a broker, banker, or fund manager. Online trading platforms allow for individuals to trade in anything from smaller stocks through to blue-chip companies with practices like ETF trading taking off.
