Vanguard, Inc.: Create low-carbon mutual funds

Energy companies have found more fossil fuels than we can burn without causing damaging levels of climate change. We will need to leave most of the known reserves of coal and/or oil in the ground.

This is both a moral and a financial issue. Morally, we wish to divest from these companies that are hurting the next generation and the environment. Financially, we wish to move away from companies that are in long-term trouble because they will not be able to sell most of the reserves that they have on their books. But, without large mutual funds, it's difficult and expensive for individual investors to do what the need to do.

Vanguard can solve this problem by rolling out a series of mutual funds that avoid those companies with the largest carbon footprints. This will allow millions of small investors to move billions of dollars away from damaging high-carbon investments.

• http://www.theguardian.com/environment/series/keep-it-in-the-ground
• http://www.nature.com/news/economics-support-low-carbon-investment-1.17015
  
• http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbonbudget/14/hl-full.htm
  
• http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/WRI13-IPCCinfographic-FINAL_web.png
  
• http://gofossilfree.org/what-is-fossil-fuel-divestment/