The $30 Trillion Trend That Will Transform U.S. Stock Markets - Seite 3

That brings us full circle to Facedrive, and the masterminds behind this Canadian product of Ontario's version of "Silicon Valley", who latched onto the sustainability-as-profit model way back in 2016, when it was just emerging as a potential trend. 

When they launched in 2019 in Canada, it was precisely at the time that sustainable investing was a solid mega-trend.  For Facedrive, it's about creating a profitable version of ride-sharing that recognizes mutually beneficial relations with communities, people and planet. That means improving on Uber's mandate. That means bringing a solution to Uber's biggest problems: Pollution without profit. 

A recent study by the Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that the average (U.S.) ride-hailing trip results in 69% more pollution than whatever transportation option it displaced. 

That's a huge number, that scientists estimate is actually higher in densely populated areas. In this age of green investing, this is a data-point that green-conscious customers everywhere are finding hard to swallow. But now, they don't have to. With Facedrive, they can contribute to planting a tree every time they take a ride. It gives consumers a choice they have never had before.

This is also one of the primary reasons energy companies taking environmental goals seriously have seen some positive attention from shareholders.

As the world's leading solar and wind energy producer, NextEra Energy (NEE) is playing a pivotal role in the path towards sustainability. In fact, in 2018, the company was the number one capital investor in green energy infrastructure, and the fifth largest investor across all sectors.

In addition to its already massive impact on global climate change, it has a plan to invest another $55 billion in American energy infrastructure in the next two years. All while maintaining a firm commitment to reduce its dependency on foreign oil. Since 2001, it has weaned itself off foreign oil almost completely, reporting a 98% reduction over the past 20 years. Even more enticing, however, is its commitment to building shareholder value. Over the past 15 years, shareholders have seen 945% returns.