How Impax Environmental Markets invests: We speak to Jon Forster

Impax Environmental Markets has spent two decades scouring the world for companies that can help address the challenges our planet faces.

Long before the recent trend for green investing and ESG funds emerged, the managers made their mark by spotting disruptive companies that made a difference.

And this has proven to be a highly profitable strategy for the investment trust’s long-term investors, with total returns of 75 percent over five years and 311 percent over ten years, according to figures from the Association of Investment Company.

Still, Impax has not remained immune to the growth stock storm, falling 5.9 percent over the past year, with the stock falling to a 5.19 percent discount to its net asset value.

But what are environmental markets and what is Impax looking for in a company? In this episode of the Investing Show, Jon Forster, senior portfolio manager of Impax Environmental Markets, along with Simon Lambert and Richard Hunter, explain more.

He also reveals some of the fascinating things Impax invests in are doing, from the UK company helping industrial users make better use of steam, to companies helping to reduce the impact of agriculture while improving yields.