Socially / Environmentally Conscious Investing Fund Recommendations

[Glenstache]

Socially and environmentally conscious investing came up in another thread I am following and I thought that a thread on recommendations for low-fee and diverse (index type) environmentally or socially conscious funds would be useful. The spark for this was that climate change is a real thing, and how we are invested in the economy can have (albeit a small one) a push in teh right direction. That can mean providing assets to help more sustainable businesses thrive as part of our portfolios rather than bulk indexes that will have heavy investment in petroleum industries simply because they are a big part of the economy.

So, what are your recommendations?

• It looks like Vanguard launched two ESG type funds in September of this year: https://institutional.vanguard.com/VGApp/iip/site/institutional/researchcommentary/article/NewsInstInfo092018
• And here's a summary from Fidelity: https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/active-investor/strategies-for-sustainable-investing

Side note: I have started this in general discussion instead of investor alley to get a broader (hopefully) feedback base.

[EvenSteven]

There was some discussion recently in another thread talking about the new funds form Vanguard.

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/investor-alley/new-vanguard-ethical-investment-funds

My comment in that thread was:

I generally disagree with what these types of funds consider ethical. I have nothing against pornography or craft beer. I am generally pro-nuclear power. Many of these funds take an anti-GMO stance, which I find to be harmful to the environment and developing countries.

[powskier]

Been there, done that in the 90's.  Should have bought Exxon instead and used the far superior profits to pay for solar installation, buy carbon credits, get a Tesla, buy the progressive and expensive products and donate  far more to local non profits. If you aren't profiting from the "evil" companies someone else is, and they are the better investment from a purely financial standpoint. Money isn't bad, make it and use it for good.
I do understand the desire for "a clean conscious" but honestly it is moderately delusional, our entire way of life is destructive.
Please don't hate me for the blunt opinion, experience is a harsh teacher.

[Telecaster]

The Vanguard fund is so broad that I suspect it will track total market index pretty closely.  But with slightly higher fees. 

[Roots&Wings]

Been there, done that in the 90's.  Should have bought Exxon instead and used the far superior profits to pay for solar installation, buy carbon credits, get a Tesla, buy the progressive and expensive products and donate  far more to local non profits. If you aren't profiting from the "evil" companies someone else is, and they are the better investment from a purely financial standpoint. Money isn't bad, make it and use it for good.
I do understand the desire for "a clean conscious" but honestly it is moderately delusional, our entire way of life is destructive.
Please don't hate me for the blunt opinion, experience is a harsh teacher.

Ha! Same. I used to be exclusively in SRI funds (Pax world, Winslow Green Growth, Portfolio 21, etc) and feel the same. Still have a small amount in a social investment fund that I really like and do microlending though.