The earth exists in a complex balance with its animals and plant life

Veganism is one of the fast growing social/environmental and health movements of the 21st century. Once considered the preserve of the eccentric or the unusual, celebrities from the world of sport such as Jermaine Defoe and David Haye have opted for a fully vegan diet, while Jay Z and Beyonce both tried a vegan diet for a month, garnering attention on the popularity of veganism.

Vegans of course do not eat meat/fish or dairy. Some vegans also choose to abstain from honey and avoid all animal based products including leather.

The connection between diet/the environment and the energy markets is an intricate one. Some studies have indicated that a meat based diet is the biggest cause of climate change, but that fears of a backlash from angry meat eaters have hindered attempts to draw attention to the role that the billions of livestock play in generating methane – one of the most potent greenhouse gases – has been downplayed.

Critically, the leading cause of deforestation is for the conversion of large swathes of the planet to be converted into land for soybean production and for industrial scale cattle ranching.

Hence there is an intricate relationship between the demand for meat and dairy based products, climate change and deforestation.

Indeed in the book “Drawdown” by Paul Hawken and a panel of climate change experts, diet receives a prominent ranking in the most important solutions. A plant based diet is number four on the list, while number three is reducing food waste. To put this into context, electric vehicles come in at number 26 and electric cars at number 49.

It is into this important mix of energy, food and climate change that renewable energy enters the equation. Renewable energy is the clean and safe solution to the world’s energy needs, avoiding pollution and generating millions of jobs.

Vegans tend to be consumers and investors that are focused on the environmental and social consequences of their actions and hence are natural investors in the renewable energy sector.