Three stocks that are improving their carbon footprints
Professional investor Craig Baker of the Alliance Trust picks three stocks that are working towards reducing their carbon footprints.

We believe that steering companies with more questionable records, or in more polluting industries, towards sustainable practices should help to manage investment risks over the long term, improve returns and benefit the planet. Here are three stocks that are proving themselves and working towards reducing their carbon footprint.
An eco-conscious cement maker
HeidelbergCement (Frankfurt: HEI) is a global leader in aggregates, cement and ready-mixed concrete production. The main component of cement is clinker, a by-product of sintering limestone (heating it so that the minerals fuse together). Its production is carbon-emission intensive.
HeidelbergCement has been increasingly focused on growing its share of the market’s sustainable low-carbon products, designing factories that operate with alternative raw materials and fuels. Currently, the company allocates about 80% of its research and development (R&D) spend on reducing energy consumption in its
MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
manufacturing process.
In June 2021, the firm announced plans to build the world’s first carbon-neutral cement plant in Sweden. This is expected to start operations in 2030. In 2019, it became the first cement company to announce an emissions-reduction target that is in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change, which aims to prevent a rise in the Earth’s temperature over 2°C by 2050.
Playing a part in renewable energy
Steelmaker ArcelorMittal (Amsterdam: MT) is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and has a broad and flexible transition strategy in place. The company has identified three distinct pathways that have the potential to deliver a significant reduction in carbon emissions: clean-power steelmaking, using hydrogen and electrolysis; circular-carbon steelmaking, which uses circular-carbon energy sources that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – such as waste biomass – to replace fossil fuels; and fossil-fuel carbon capture and storage, where the current method of steel production is maintained but the carbon is then captured and stored or reused, rather than emitted into the atmosphere.
The company is also making new steel products that help their customers’ transition to a low-carbon future, such as materials for wind turbine construction. As the second-largest steelmaker in the world, it is well positioned to develop the required technology and capture the potential competitive advantage.
Carbon footprint improvement
BP (LSE: BP) aims to get to net zero across its operations by 2050 or sooner. It is also aiming for a 50% cut in the carbon intensity of products it sells by 2050 or sooner. The firm plans to install methane measurement at all major oil and gas processing sites by 2023 and reduce methane intensity of operations by 50%. It also intends to increase the proportion of investment into non-oil and gas businesses over time.
We believe the oil and gas sector as a whole faces a profound challenge in adapting to the energy transition. But we think BP is better placed than others to manage the transition effectively due to the greater operational flexibility it has developed in the years since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, caused by the explosion of an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana.
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
Craig Baker is head of the investment committee at Alliance Trust
-
Two thirds of easy access savings accounts come with restrictions – can you access your savings in an emergency?
Out of the top 30 easy access savings on the market, 22 come with some sort of restriction on how fast you can access your money, according to new research.
-
Most popular London boroughs: Full list of in-demand places to move to
A deluge of people move to or within Britain’s capital each year – but which area is the most popular? We look at the most in-demand London boroughs in 2025.
-
Global investors have overlooked some of China’s best growth stocks
Opinion Dale Nicholls, portfolio manager, Fidelity China Special Situations, highlights three Chinese businesses where he’d put his money
-
How Next defied the odds and positioned itself as a British high-street staple
Next rose from a near-death experience and now thrives as a high-street staple. What's driving its success – and should you invest in the retailer?
-
Alok Sama on AI and how to invest in the future of technology
Interview Alok Sama, the former president and chief financial officer of Masayoshi Son’s investment vehicle SoftBank Group International, explains AI’s potential
-
The private equity puzzle
Listed private equity trusts still trade at large discounts, despite sales that validate their valuations
-
Why investors should avoid market monomania
Opinion Today’s overwhelming focus on US markets leaves investors guessing about opportunities and risks elsewhere
-
Can Rachel Reeves save the City?
Opinion Chancellor Rachel Reeves is mulling a tax cut, which would be welcome – but it’s nowhere near enough, says Matthew Lynn
-
Pierre-Édouard Stérin wants to make France great again
Conservative billionaire Pierre-Édouard Stérin is seeking to lead a political and spiritual renaissance across the Channel. The planning looks meticulous
-
Global investors have overlooked the top innovators in emerging markets
Opinion Carlos Hardenberg, portfolio manager, Mobius Investment Trust, highlights three emerging market stocks where he’d put his money