What are the investment opportunities in sustainable construction?
06/22/2022
Garrett Norman
Bryon Lake
Energy usage is the largest operating expense in commercial office buildings at roughly one-third of operating budgets, so companies that can improve energy efficiency can not only reduce emissions but also reduce costs.

Meera Pandit
Global Market Strategist
Meera Pandit:
Hi, my name is Meera Pandit, Global Market Strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management. Welcome to On the Minds of Investors. Today's topic, what are the investment opportunities in sustainable construction? Many of the innovations and technologies needed for a carbon neutral economy are not yet available, but there are still many existing solutions that can be implemented today to reduce emissions, particularly in how we manage energy efficiency in buildings and appliances. Nearly 18% of greenhouse gas emissions come from energy usage in commercial and residential buildings. But when both direct and indirect emissions are considered, that share more than doubles. Analysis from the IEA's Seventh Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency, held earlier this month, demonstrated that doubling the current global rate of energy intensity improvement to 4% a year has the potential to avoid the equivalent of all the annual energy usage in China. This would not only help reduce emissions, but also aid the consumer by saving households $650 billion a year on energy bills by the end of the decade.
The International Finance Corporation estimates there's a $25 trillion opportunity in green buildings over the coming decades to reduce emissions. Energy usage is the largest operating expense in commercial office buildings, at roughly one-third of operating budgets. So, companies that can improve energy efficiency can not only reduce emissions, but also reduce costs. To that end, companies are developing energy-efficient solutions, such as air conditioning, heating systems, LED lighting, home appliances and insulation products, and providing design and consulting services to build more sustainably. Two such examples are Trane Technologies and Signify. Trane Technologies is a leader in heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
The company has reduced its consumer's carbon footprint by 50 million metric tons since 2019, and has committed to reducing its customers carbon emissions by one gigaton or one billion metric tons by 2030, equivalent to the combined annual emissions of Italy, France, and the UK. Heating and ventilation represent around 50% of building energy consumption or 15% of operating costs, and demand for energy efficient solutions are forecast to double by 2050. The company is continuing to innovate, investing $193 million in sustainability-driven R&D in 2021 alone.
Signify is a leader in LED lighting systems, software and services. Replacing incandescent lights with LED lights is estimated to reduce energy consumption by over 50%, and switching to both connected and LED lighting can save up to 80% on lighting-related energy consumption. While these lighting systems may require a higher initial investment, cost savings accrue over time with better energy efficiency and longer lifespans. Signify is at the forefront of innovation in this space, announcing a breakthrough LED bulb that lasts 3.5 times longer than its leading peers, and consumes 60% less energy. Thanks again for joining us.
Many of the innovations and technologies needed for a carbon neutral economy are not yet available, but there are still many existing solutions that can be implemented today to reduce emissions, particularly in how we manage energy efficiency in buildings and appliances.
Nearly 18% of greenhouse gas emissions come from energy usage in commercial and residential buildings, but when both direct and indirect emissions are considered, that share more than doubles. Analysis from the IEA’s 7th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency held earlier this month demonstrated that doubling the current global rate of energy intensity improvement to 4% a year has the potential to avoid the equivalent of all the annual energy usage in China. This would not only help reduce emissions, but also aid the consumer by saving households $650 billion a year on energy bills by the end of the decade.
The International Finance Corporation estimates there is a $25 trillion opportunity in green buildings over the coming decades to reduce emissions. Energy usage is the largest operating expense in commercial office buildings at roughly one-third of operating budgets, so companies that can improve energy efficiency can not only reduce emissions but also reduce costs. To that end, companies are developing energy efficient solutions such as air conditioning, heating systems, LED lighting, home appliances, and insulation products, and providing design and consulting services to build more sustainably. Two such examples are Trane Technologies and Signify.
Trane Technologies is a leader in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The company has reduced its customers’ carbon footprint by 50 million metric tons since 2019 and has committed to reduce its customers’ carbon emissions by one gigaton (or one billion metric tons) by 2030, equivalent to the combined annual emissions of Italy, France, and the UK. Heating and ventilation represent around 50% of building energy consumption, or 15% of operating costs, and demand for energy efficient solutions are forecast to double by 2050. The company is continuing to innovate, investing $193 million in sustainability-driven R&D in 2021 alone.
Signify is a leader in LED lighting systems, software, and services. Replacing incandescent lights with LED lights is estimated to reduce energy consumption by over 50% and switching to both connected and LED lighting can save up to 80% on lighting-related energy consumption. While these lighting systems may require a higher initial investment, cost savings accrue over time with better energy efficiency and longer lifespans. Signify is at the forefront of innovation in this space, announcing a breakthrough LED bulb that lasts 3.5x longer than its leading peers and consumes 60% less energy.
These companies are among the holdings of J.P. Morgan’s Climate Change Solutions ETF (NYSE:TEMP). An actively managed sustainable fund. The securities highlighted above have been selected based on their significance and are shown for illustrative purposes only. They are not recommendations.
Global share of buildings and construction emissions, 2019
Source: J.P. Morgan Asset Management, IEA and the UN Environment Programme, 2020 Global Status Report. Text sources include IEA, International Finance Corporation, Our World in Data, UN Environment Programme. Data are as of June 21, 2022.
Investing on the basis of sustainability/ESG criteria involves qualitative and subjective analysis. There is no guarantee that the determinations made by the adviser will align with the beliefs or values of a particular investor. Companies identified by an ESG policy may not operate as expected, and adhering to an ESG policy may result in missed opportunities.
Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives and risks as well as charges and expenses of the JPMorgan ETF before investing. The summary and full prospectuses contain this and other information about the ETF. Read the prospectus carefully before investing. Call 1-844-4JPM-ETF or visit www.jpmorganETFs.com to obtain a prospectus.
Risk Summary for JPM Climate Change Solutions ETF: Climate change solutions strategies may result in investments that underperform the market. Such investments may be negatively impacted by changes in global and regional climates, environmental protection regulatory actions, changes in government standards and subsidy levels, changes in taxation and other domestic and international political, regulatory and economic developments. Because society's focus on climate change issues is relatively new, the emphasis and direction of governmental policies is subject to significant change, and rapid technological change could render even new approaches and products obsolete. There is a risk that the companies identified by the adviser do not operate as expected when addressing climate changes issues. In addition, there are significant differences in interpretations of what it means for a company to have solutions that address climate change.
J.P. Morgan ETFs are distributed by JPMorgan Distribution Services, Inc., which is an affiliate of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Affiliates of JPMorgan Chase & Co. receive fees for providing various services to the funds. JPMorgan Distribution Services, Inc. is a member of FINRA.
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