The climate crisis is changing consumer and business behaviour
In recent years, pressure has risen on all sectors to minimise their carbon emissions, and precious metals are no exception. Stuart O’Reilly of the Royal Mint says: “Sustainability is key to who we are. We’re a large manufacturer, and we are trying to generate as much of our power as possible on our site in South Wales. We’ve got a wind turbine, we’ve got a solar farm, and that’s generating a lot of the energy that produces the coins.”
Consumer behaviour has also started to shift, with buyers increasingly prioritising ethical choices. “The more awareness we have about our impact on the climate, the more people will start to reconsider their purchasing behaviour and habits,” explains Anders Petterson, founder of ArtTactic, an art market research and analysis company.
It’s not just the way that we shop that is changing, but also the way we invest. “It’s important that we’re operating in a way that isn’t making the world worse,” says Investec Wealth & Investment’s Max Richardson. “That’s a key focus, I think, for investors in the coming years and it’s why we’re seeing more sustainable strategies develop over time.”