Trucost Blog

We put an awful lot of effort into our proposal to be included in CalPERS pool of research organisations. So we were absolutely delighted when the $200bn pension fund announced we were one of only 2 UK based firms that made the grade.

Why are CalPERS interested in Trucost?

Because our data enables pension funds to measure the environmental risk of their portfolios in a quantitative way, and take action to substantially reduce that risk and yet still maintain expected financial returns. Our S&P Carbon Efficient Index gives you the returns of the S&P500 but with half the carbon.

At a time when Senior American political figures are promising to introduce a "cap and trade" energy bill and when there are plans in Congress to submit a law, called 3P, to make polluters pay for the three pollutants of sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides, and mercury - it makes good fiduciary sense to understand how these costs will effect investments and position portfolios accordingly.

The investment rational in a nutshell - "a free call option on carbon costs going up".