It’s uncommon to hear of investment firms going carbon neutral, yet the choice was easy for Fulcrum. “Is there any downside to it? I can’t think of any. It’s all upside and no downside,” said Lewis. 

The decision to go carbon neutral will also benefit the Fulcrum investment thesis. “If you can find companies that are taking profit to invest back in the environment, those companies clearly care. By and large, you’re going to find a stronger business through that,” stated Lewis. 

Fulcrum predicts that the move to carbon-neutral will attract future employees and investment opportunities, but also sees the decision as a step towards continuous improvement in the current culture. Fulcrum’s Marketing Manager, Taylor Jarrells said, “employees want to work for a company they know will make an impact. By going carbon neutral with Green Places, Fulcrum hopes to make their workspace better for our employees and lead by example with our portfolio companies.”

 Lewis thinks this will benefit the investment group, saying “You see companies that give back and care about the environment… those usually tend to have better cultures, and those companies tend to be better performers.” 

As an investment firm, Fulcrum has the unique position of being able to share its commitment to going carbon neutral with current and future investments. Before investing, Fulcrum requests an ESG from all investments to ensure that core values align. By partnering with Green Places, Fulcrum is “practicing what we preach,” said Lewis. 

While becoming carbon neutral will not be the only reason an entrepreneur chooses Fulcrum, Lewis believes it could be a tiebreaker that differentiates their group from competitors. “If everything else is pretty close, the entrepreneur is going to go with the better cultural fit,” said Lewis when describing the benefits he saw to going carbon neutral.