89. Breene Murphy on a “Divest, Reinvest, Pressure the Rest” Climate Investing Strategy

Purpose and Profit with Kathy Varol

Breene Murphy is the president of Carbon Collective, a climate investment advisor. They create low-fee investment portfolios for employer 401k plans and individuals that divest from fossil fuels and reinvest in climate solutions. They have launched two Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs): a climate solutions equity ETF (ticker: CCSO), and a green bond fund (ticker: CCSB).. Carbon Collective is an implementation partner of Project Drawdown, and a member of Rewiring America’s CEOs for Electrification coalition.

If you are responsible for your company’s 401K plans, look to Carbon Collective’s ETFs as a sustainable option to offer employees.

In this episode, we discuss:

● What an ETF is, and why Carbon Collective needed to create their own

● How an investment portfolio is made

● Why it’s important to invest more funds into climate solutions companies

Key Takeaways:

● Investing: Simplify the Complex. Investing can feel like trying to decipher a foreign language. You're either lost in the weeds or barely skimming the surface. Here's my straightforward advice: First, if you're in the USA, start investing in your 401K as early as possible, and always contribute at least the maximum amount that your company matches. There is no fallback social system to rely on in retirement. Second, remember that your investments are your bets on the future. When you put your money into a company, you're saying, "I want this company to be part of tomorrow's world." So, invest with intention. Make sure your financial choices align with the future you want to live in.

● Expanding Investment Choices. For markets to genuinely reflect individual choices, people need a full spectrum of options. Carbon Collective stepped in to fill a significant gap by creating new ETFs and 401K portfolios that exclude fossil fuel companies—something that was missing in the market. Considering that 401Ks are the primary retirement-saving vehicle for Americans, having no option to align those investments with personal values means the market can’t truly reflect individual preferences. It’s like having a dessert bar that only offers ice cream and then assuming everyone’s favorite dessert is ice cream. True choice requires diverse options.

● Helping: The Antidote to Helplessness. Before we started recording, Breene shared his eye-opening experience of joining the workforce and realizing that most adults are just figuring it out as they go, struggling along the way. This shattered the illusion that adults “have it figured out”. He talked about the impact helping those around him had on his career. It reminded me of the phrase "helping is the antidote to helplessness". No matter what, every life journey will have spots that feel helpless. This phrase is a nice reminder. Helpful acts not only lift others up but also pull us out of our own helpless ruts, reminding us that we have the power to make a difference.

References:

● Connect with Breene on LinkedIn

● Carbon Collective

● Project Drawdown

● International Energy Agency

● Rewiring America

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