Today is Earth Day: Top ESG companies to invest in changing the world in 2024

April 22nd marks Earth Day, where sustainability and saving our planet’s environment is celebrated around the world.

Now more than ever, investors can meaningfully contribute towards conserving our planet by financially supporting companies leading the ESG charge.

Here are our top picks for the top five ESG companies worth investing in for Earth Day 2024:

1. First Abu Dhabi Bank
2. Microsoft
3. Sims Ltd.
4. Waste Management Inc
5. ZeroAvia

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) is the United Arab Emirates’ biggest bank, and is a major player in the financial services space, in terms of pioneering top-tier ESG standards. 

For example, on December 5th 2023, FAB announced that it would provide over AED500 billion in green finance by 2030 (approximately $135 billion in US dollars), increasing the bank’s sustainable commitment by 80%.1 

The bank has also been doing well by shareholders. In its latest financial results, FAB posted record-high full year 2023 and fourth quarter results, including its highest cash dividend since 2020 (a total of $2.1 billion or $0.19 per ordinary share) and a 56% increase in net profit to $4.5 billion.2

Titan tech company Microsoft, a member of the elite ‘magnificent seven’ stocks, needs no introduction. But did you know that the company also has strong ESG credentials? 

Microsoft is famously aiming to be a zero emissions company by next year, and to actually be ‘carbon negative’ by 2030. It also launched a global ESG Academy, in collaboration with KPMG, in September last year.3

Microsoft is also once to watch as it will announce its latest financial results soon, on April 25th. 

Australian metal recycling company Sims Ltd collects, processes and resells a variety of metals, including aluminium, copper, iron and steel, in over 30 countries worldwide. 

The business was ranked number one this year in the prestigious Corporate Knights’ ‘Global 100’ list, which uses intensive methodology to research and name the top most sustainable companies on the planet.

Sims is listed on Australia’s ASX exchange. After having a depressed share price for some time, the company is now gaining on the stock exchange again, rising nearly 4% last week and is up 0.26% today at the time of writing.  

Waste Management Inc. is a New York stock exchange-listed company that provides environmental services and manages waste in the United States. 

The company has had a great year so far, with its stock price up by over 15% so far in 2024 and by almost 25% in the past year, at the time of this article’s writing (April 22nd). 

Waste Management Inc is set to report its latest financial results this week, on April 24th. Good things are expected, considering the company’s most recent results, reported in February, showed increases in both revenues and income from operations. 

ZeroAvia is a maker of hydrogen-electric aircrafts. The company is dedicated to making zero carbon emission air travel a possibility with its hydrogen fuel technology.

The company gained worldwide attention for its ESG prowess earlier this year, when it was named the number one business in Time magazine’s America’s Top GreenTech Companies of 2024.4 Its latest round of funding was also supported by investing heavyweights like Bill Gates and Horizon Ventures. 

In a world first, ZeroAvia’s first hydrogen-electric engine design for 9-19 seat aircraft is currently with the regulators for approval and certification. However, it’s making huge strides elsewhere in green technology, such as currently developing liquid hydrogen refueling trucks for the California Energy Commission. 

Earth Day is not a holiday as such, but rather an event held each year on April 22nd to bring awareness to the importance of conserving the environment.

Earth Day is observed in countries all over the world, including the United States, Italy, Canada, the Philippines, Denmark and over 100 more.

This year, the theme for today’s Earth Day is ‘Planet versus Plastics’.

1 First Abu Dhabi Bank, 2023; 2 PR Newswire, 2024; 3  KPMG, 2023; 4 Time magazine, 2024.

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