How to Grow Your Wealth and Protect the Planet

Welcome to the future of investing, where your money can help build a better world.
The world is changing. Climate change, social injustice, and economic inequality are all front and centre. But here’s the good news: your money can be part of the solution.

If you care about the planet, want to build wealth, and are ready to take action, you may want to participate in green investing.

Money offers choices, power, and possibility. And when we make climate-smart money moves, we’re voting for the kind of world we want to live in. So whether you’re investing $5 or $5,000, you can make it count.

Green investing, also known as sustainable or ethical investing, is one of the most powerful ways to make a positive impact. It’s about putting your money where your values are.

If you have ever wondered: What is green investing?🤔 Why does it matter? 🤔How can you start? 🤔And how can it help you grow your money over time?🤔 Here are some answers to get you started.

What is Green Investing?

Green investing is all about supporting companies and funds that are doing good for the environment and society.

Instead of investing in what we call “sin stocks” like tobacco, weapons manufacturing, pornography, or hard-to-abate industries like oil, gas, or fast fashion, green investing supports:

• Renewable energy, like solar and wind
• Clean transportation and electric vehicles
• Sustainable agriculture and plant-based foods
• Companies that reduce waste and carbon emissions
• Ethical businesses that treat workers fairly and respect human rights

Green investing falls under a bigger idea called ESG Investing, which looks at:

• Environmental (like climate action and water use)
• Social (like labour rights and community impact)
• Governance (like transparency and leadership diversity)

It’s about making smart money moves that also match your values.

Why It Matters (And Why It’s Growing)

The world is experiencing more wildfires, floods, and unpredictable weather than ever before. From the Jasper wildfires to the LA wildfires, we know climate change is real. But it’s not just about fear; it’s also about opportunity.

Across the world, governments and companies are investing in clean energy, green jobs, and climate tech. And investors are paying attention. Bloomberg research predicts $40 trillion in growth by 2030, and this shows that sustainable investments often perform just as well (or better) than traditional ones over time.

So why not grow your money and help the planet at the same time?

How to Start Green Investing (Even If You’re New to It)

Step 1: Know What You Care About
Are you passionate about seeing more butterflies? Protecting animals? Reducing plastic? Choose your focus. Your values will guide what kind of green investing works for you.

Step 2: Check Where Your Money Is Now
Look at your TFSA, RRSP, or even your everyday bank account. Where is your money being invested? Some banks fund oil pipelines or unsustainable industries. Here are some ways you can check:

• Bank.Green: Helps find ethical and sustainable banks in your area.
• GreenFi: Offers a climate-friendly banking app.
• United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI): Offers tools like Transition Check, which helps financial institutions quantify the impact of transition risks. 

Step 3: Start Small with Green ETFs
ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) are like baskets of different investments. There are lots of green ETFs available in Canada. Some good examples are:

• BMO Clean Energy Index ETF (ZCLN) – Invests in companies across North America that focus on clean energy, like solar, wind, and hydro power.
• iShares ESG Aware MSCI Canada Index ETF (XESG) – Holds Canadian companies with strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices.
• Desjardins Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF (DRFG) – Avoids fossil fuel companies and focuses on more sustainable, low-carbon investments.

You can invest with as little as $50/month using apps like Wealthsimple or Questrade.

Step 4: Try Robo-Advisors with ESG Options
Robo advisors like Wealthsimple offer portfolios designed around ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) values. You answer a few questions, and they help you invest your money..

Step 5: Use Your Bank for Good
Switching to a bank or credit union that supports sustainable initiatives is another easy win. Some great options in Canada include:

• Vancity Credit Union – Supports green home upgrades, renewable energy, and reinvests in climate and community projects.
• Alterna Savings – Funds affordable green housing and backs community programs focused on equity (women, youth, and 2SLGBTQ+ communities)  and sustainability.

Step 5: Join a community 

The Greenback Revolution is a youth-led group working to make sustainable investing simple and accessible. They use everyday language to explain things like:

• Environmentalist ETFs: Funds with low carbon footprints
• Empathetic ETFs: Funds made up of companies that lead on social and environmental issues

They even created a list of ETFs for comparison with MSCI’s ESG Fund Ratings and Climate Search Tool to help you as an investor check ESG rating distributions so that young people can compare and choose from. Their mission is to make it easier for everyone, especially young people and people of colour, to invest in a way that feels right.

It’s inspiring. And it shows that you don’t have to wait for big institutions to act. Change starts with us.

Cool Tools to Explore
Here are a few beginner-friendly resources to check out:

• Wealthsimple: Offers ESG-focused portfolios
• Good Investing: Helps Canadians find ethical funds
• MSCI ESG Ratings: Helps research the ESG performance of different funds

Green investing is part of a bigger lifestyle that helps you live your values and if you want to start, you can:

• Ask your job if they offer a sustainable retirement plan
• Bring up green investing in conversations with family and friends
• Join the Don’t Go Broke Collective: Your Financial Accountability Squad to learning and build wealth together

You never know who you might inspire.

We all want a better future for ourselves, our families, and the planet. Green investing is one way to help create that future.

You don’t have to be an expert. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to start.

About the Author
Ese Okereka is a sustainability consultant and project manager based in Toronto. She loves helping people connect climate action with personal growth and is a lifelong champion of creative climate action. Ese holds a PhD in Environmental Biology with over 10 years of global experience leading ESG and sustainability projects across energy, development, academia, and management consulting. She thrives at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and storytelling and believes in making sustainability practical, inclusive, and future-forward.

Want to learn more or invite her to speak? Reach out on LinkedIn or by email.