Financing a clean future

You would have heard about use of social media platform to promote financial and health risk-management, but not everyone uses the online space to promote investments for reducing carbon footprints. A former risk manager at one of the largest insurance groups in Belgium, Romik Rai, has done just that.

Leaving a well-paying job in the financial services sector, Rai has floated Greenassets.in — a platform to create a community of users to promote sustainable investments in carbon-reducing assets — early this fiscal.

Rai, who operates out of Dehradun, said, as on September 2015, the website has 48 registered members collaborating on environmental initiatives.

“Members will use our platform to collaborate on projects that have a positive impact, and trade in eco-friendly products and services with fellow community members. Apart from this, members can also volunteer to attend fun events and spread awareness about climate change and promote an eco-friendly way of life,” Rai told BusinessLine .

His belief that trillions of dollars of investments in coal mining and oil and gas exploration could end up worthless in future, led him to start a company which plans to go beyond renewable energy and address other aspects of clean technology through online community engagement. “I realised people need to be offered alternative ‘assets’ that incorporates the well being of the environment while also being financially secure and provide reasonable returns. Thus, I conceptualised Greenassets.”

On ground, Greenassets offers help setting up hybrid clean energy systems called SolarMill. A SolarMill is a combination of micro-wind and rooftop solar power systems. Beyond renewable energy, it also offers help to those who want to set up waste management systems and organic plantations.

“We also work with impact investors who wish to invest in ethical investments in the fields of agriculture, renewable energy, clean technology manufacturing and social infrastructure,” Rai said.

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