Starbucks Corporation (SBUX), The Southern Company (SO), Exelon Corporation (EXC): Prepare Your Portfolio For Climate Change

Dalheim favorably noted Duke Energy Corp (NYSE:DUK)‘s efforts to reduce the climate-change impacts from coal production, particularly in China. The company is making a serious effort to develop its carbon capture and sequestration capabilities, and it recently entered a research partnership with China’s Huaneng Group to advance this agenda.

Turning to utilities, Dalheim gave a nod to Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC) for its low carbon profile. According to the new “Benchmarking Air Emissions” report from sustainability leadership advocate Ceres, Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC) had the eighth lowest carbon dioxide emissions rate among the top 100 power producers in 2011, primarily because of its large nuclear and renewable-energy fleet. Despite starting from such a low baseline, Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC) still reduced its total carbon dioxide emissions by 32% and its carbon dioxide emission rate by 40% between 2000 and 2011. Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC) was a sponsor of the report, but I have found no reason to question the details presented here.

Foolish bottom line
Don’t get me wrong: Climate change presents plenty of reasons to be terrified, and I’ll be writing about that in the coming days. But it doesn’t leave us powerless as investors. We have the ability to parse the issue for risks and opportunities, and to make smart investment decisions on that basis. The problem of a warming planet is tremendous, but it is not insurmountable.

The article Invest in Solutions for a Warming World originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Sara Murphy.

Sara Murphy has no position in any stocks mentioned. Follow her on Twitter @SMurphSmiles. The Motley Fool recommends Exelon, Southern Company, and Starbucks. The Motley Fool owns shares of Starbucks.

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