Discussions of climate change tend to devolve into a polarized, political issue. While both sides may disagree on the causes and solutions, it's no longer possible to deny that extreme weather events are no longer an anomaly.
It is already leading to major disruptions with flooding and power outages almost a regular occurrence in many parts of the country. It's also clear that these trends are getting worse as the average temperatures keep rising. While, this will certainly mean suffering for many people, especially those who are more vulnerable and have fewer resources, it also will provide an opportunity for the companies who are working to solve this issue or solve the consequences of these issues.
Generac
Generac (NYSE: GNRC) has been one of the top-performing stocks of the past few years. The company's generators have become essential for households to continue functioning during disruptions in power which are becoming commonplace in many parts of the country, especially during extreme weather.
And, the need for power is only more necessary in a world where more people are working or learning from home. In the last quarter, Generac's earnings were up 13% and revenues were higher by 34%. Since the March 2020 low, Generac shares have nearly quadrupled, yet shares are down by 40% over the past couple of months.
Water ETF
Maybe the most immediate impact of climate change is felt in areas where there is too much flooding that overwhelms the existing infrastructure. And, at the same time, other areas experience drought-like conditions.
The Invesco Water Resources ETF (NYSE: PHO) is an ETF composed of companies that help produce and transmit clean water. Clean water is one of those things that we take for granted but without it, society can quickly fall apart. The companies that ensure that clean water is available will only increasingly grow in importance.
Uranium ETF
Uranium demand is increasing with new plants expected to be built in Asia even while many nuclear facilities are being decommissioned in Europe and North America. The pendulum shifted away from uranium with it losing favor due to the Fukushima situation.
However, even these decisions are being second-guessed due to recent disruptions in power as renewables are proving to be much less reliable. Thus, it's expected that Germany may delay its shuttering of nuclear facilities despite the Green Party winning elections decisively.
It also seems that many climate change activists are once again open to nuclear power generation especially with newer plants that are safer and much smaller. Given that renewables are not sufficient to meet current demand and fossil fuels are getting more expensive and contributing to emissions, it's inevitable that nuclear becomes part of the stopgap solution.
That is why uranium seems to be a good opportunity for investors. A good uranium ETF to consider is Global X Uranium ETF (NYSE: URA) which targets both mining and the production of nuclear components.