Despite being so densely populated, Japan has always managed to be ahead of the curve in terms of sustainability. The Japanese government has been investing large amounts of money into companies developing new advances in green practice, as well as to create more jobs related to green. One way this is done is by offering loans with a better interest rate (or no interest at all) for companies focusing on green technology and sustainability.

By offering these companies funding for no interest, they are able to expand their business and hopefully hire new sustainability related jobs. This is a great opportunity for the new employees to learn a skill that will probably be in high demand as these practices continue to become more common.

There may not be an objective classification system for what makes a company green, but any company can work towards qualifying under a specific portfolio. A larger corporation can work on greening its general practices and a smaller company can choose to focus on producing something that will improve the environment in some way. The government is encouraging this in part by offering grants and the no-interest loans discussed above.

There are many different options available for green investments such as green mutual funds that are a collection of equity in companies focusing on green. In addition, there are green REITs (real estate investment trusts) available that focus on green properties. These have actually begun to show that in some cases a building can be more valuable in the eyes of the public if it is LEED certified. For example, property with a LEED certification might be able to attract a higher rent than a similar non-LEED property. In addition, the World Bank in Japan has recently introduced the ability to invest in green bonds. This provides a great low risk method of investing in sustainable development.

Green investments are an great addition to the world of finance and an interesting way to discover Japan Slowly.