Podcast: February 2026 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks

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Podcast: February 2026 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks

February 2026 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks. Includes an article on the most sustainable companies by sustainable revenues, and more.

By Ron Robins, MBA

Transcript & Links, Episode 164, February 27, 2026

Hello, Ron Robins here. Welcome to my podcast episode 164, published on February 27, 2026, titled “February 2026 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks.”

This podcast is presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your go-to site for vital global, ethical, and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources.

Remember that you can find a full transcript and links to content, including stock symbols and bonus material, on this episode’s podcast page at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts.

Also, a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, and I don’t receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal any investments I have in the investments mentioned herein.

I have a huge crop of 20 articles for you in this podcast! Note: Some companies are covered more than once. Now with so many articles to potentially cover, I’ve chosen 3 to quote from. The other 17 can be found on the webpage for this podcast edition, along with their titles and links.

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Clean200 companies hit $2.8 trillion in sustainable revenues

I’m starting this episode with one of my favourite rankings. It’s titled the Clean200 companies hit $2.8 trillion in sustainable revenues on corporateknights.com. The introduction is by CK Staff. Here are some quotes from the introduction.

“Since 2016, the shareholder-advocacy non-profit As You Sow and Corporate Knights have zeroed in on total sustainable revenues at public companies worldwide in order to show both the share and scale of sustainable revenues in absolute terms.

‘The Clean200 follows revenues, not rhetoric,’ Toby Heaps, CEO of Corporate Knights and report co-author, said in a statement. ‘Even when politics turns hostile, markets continue to reward companies that are supplying what the global economy is structurally demanding – clean power, electrification, efficiency, and resilient infrastructure’…

On average, more than half the revenue (53.7%) at Clean200 companies is sustainable… whereas companies in the MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI) generate only 16.7% of their revenue from sustainable activities…

From July 1, 2016, to January 26, 2026, the Clean200 portfolio returned 282.9%, compared with 221.3% for the MSCI ACWI. The fossil fuel benchmark, meanwhile, returned a much slimmer 111%…

Methodology

The Clean 200 is selected from 8,229 eligible companies, of which 103 were excluded. The list employs a wide range of negative screens to exclude: for example, fossil-fired utilities or big banks and insurers financing fossil fuel companies, as well as for-profit prisons, weapons makers and others…

The United States and China have 69 companies on the list between them, 41 and 28 respectively. Five years ago, the United States had 46 companies on the list, and China had 17, which suggests a subtle but marked rebalancing trend. About half the list consists of ‘middle power’ countries: Japan (15), France (12), Canada (11), Germany (11), Spain (8), Brazil (8), South Korea (7), Denmark (7), United Kingdom (5), Sweden (5) and India (5). Sixteen other countries share the remaining 14.5% of the list, underscoring how widely distributed the clean‑economy opportunity has become.”

End quotes.

The top five companies are Apple Inc. (AAPL), Amazon.com Inc. (AMZM), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Tesla Inc. (TSLA), and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (C7A0.DU ). However, I suggest investors also look at the ‘pure-play’ companies, those with the highest sustainable revenue ratio!

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The Best Sustainable Funds and ETFs to Buy

This second article is from one of the top investment sites and is titled The Best Sustainable Funds and ETFs to Buy on morningstar.com. It’s by a well-respected analyst and writer, Leslie P. Norton. She compiled some comments from two analysts. Here are some quotes from her article.

“We screened for the lowest-cost primary share classes with a Medalist Rating of Gold and 100% analyst coverage. All the funds on the list carry the ESG Intentional Investment tag and have at least $100 million in assets. All data is as of Feb. 3.

Because the screen was created with the lowest-cost share class for each fund, some may be listed with share classes that are not accessible to individual investors outside of retirement plans, or they may be aimed at institutional investors and require large minimum investments. The individual investor versions of those funds may carry higher fees, reducing returns to shareholders. Medalist Ratings may differ among the share classes of a fund.

Morningstar expects the highly rated sustainable funds on this list to outperform their peers over a full market cycle. But though all these funds fall under the same theme, they may practice different strategies and behave differently. Investors need to do their homework to understand exactly what a particular fund invests in before buying.

1) Boston Trust SMID Cap Fund (BTSMX) by Eric Schultz, analyst

Morningstar assigns… a High rating to its parent company, Boston Trust Walden…

The $746.4 million fund has gained 0.49% over the past year, while the average fund in its category is up 9.56%. The fund, launched in November 2011, has climbed 5.60% over the past three years and 7.63% over the past five.

The managers focus on identifying strong small- and mid-cap businesses with durable and predictable earnings profiles that also have reasonable valuations…

The strategy has recently trailed the Russell 2500 benchmark as the rally after early April 2025 was led by lower-quality businesses that the strategy typically avoids, as they tend to underperform higher-quality businesses over longer periods.

Read Morningstar’s full report on the Boston Trust SMID Cap Fund.

2) Boston Trust Walden Small Cap Fund (BOSOX) by Eric Schultz, analyst

This $1.1 billion fund has lost 1.88% over the past year, while the average fund in its category is up 11.16%. The Boston Trust Walden fund, launched in December 2005, has climbed 4.01% over the past three years and 7.01% over the past five.

The strategy (which has an impact mandate) focuses on identifying strong small-cap businesses with durable and predictable earnings profiles that also have reasonable valuations…

The strategy’s long-term performance was impressive. From the mutual fund’s December 2005 inception through July 2025, total and risk-adjusted returns on its sole share class beat the category average and Russell 2000 Index by wide margins.

Read Morningstar’s full report on the Boston Trust Walden Small Cap Fund.

3) PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active ESG Exchange-Traded Fund (EMNT) by Paul Olmsted, senior analyst

Morningstar assigns a High rating to the PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active ESG Exchange-Traded Fund management team and an Above Average rating to its parent company, PIMCO…

The $211.1 million fund has gained 4.65% over the past year, while the average fund in its category is up 4.72%. The PIMCO fund, launched in December 2019, has climbed 5.27% over the past three years and 3.22% over the past five.

Veteran leadership, specialized short-term expertise, effective collaboration, and a time-tested process makes Pimco Enhanced Short Maturity Active ESG ETF a best-in-class selection among ultrashort bond peers…

While the ETF extensively uses derivatives, Pimco has consistently proved its ability to manage these instruments effectively.

Read Morningstar’s full report on the PIMCO Enhanced Short Maturity Active ESG Exchange-Traded Fund.”

End quotes.

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Green ETFs to Watch as Global Energy Transition Investment Crosses $2T

My third article is titled Green ETFs to Watch as Global Energy Transition Investment Crosses $2T on theglobeandmail.com. It’s by Zacks Investment Research.

“1. iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN)

This fund, with net assets worth $2.17 billion, offers exposure to 102 companies that produce energy from solar, wind, and other renewable sources. Its top three holdings include: Bloom Energy (BE) (10.91%), a fuel cell technology proprietor, Nextpower (NXT) (9.63%), a smart solar tracker manufacturer, and First Solar (FSLR), a prominent solar panel producer. 

iShares Global Clean Energy ETF has surged 66.8% over the past year. The fund charges 39 basis points (bps) as fees.

2. ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES)

This fund, with net assets worth $122.9 million, offers exposure to a diverse set of U.S. and Canadian companies involved in the clean energy sector, including renewables and clean technology. Its top three holdings include Albemarle Corp. (ALB) (6.60%), a supplier of critical lithium compounds used in energy storage batteries; Nextpower (NXT) (5.94%); and Enphase Energy (ENPH) (5.80%), a leading manufacturer of solar microinverters that also provides energy storage management solutions.

ALPS Clean Energy ETF has soared 44.3% over the past year. The fund charges 55 bps as fees.

3. Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW)

This fund, with a market value worth $784.4 million, offers exposure to 63 stocks of companies that are publicly traded in the United States and engaged in the business of advancing cleaner energy and conservation. Its top three holdings include Bloom Energy (BE)(2.41%), Lithium Argentina (LAR) (2.22%), a significant developer and producer of lithium projects, and Lifezone Metals LZM (2.11%), which uses its proprietary Hydromet Technology to produce lower-carbon metals.

Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF has rallied 82.8% over the past year. The fund charges 64 bps as fees.

4. SPDR S&P Kensho Clean Power ETF (CNRG)

This fund, with assets under management (AUM) worth $215.3 million, offers exposure to 43 companies whose products and services are driving innovation behind the clean energy sector, which includes the areas of solar, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric power. Its top three holdings include: Bloom Energy (BE) (4.08%), T1 Energy (TE) (3.85%), an energy solutions provider, and Nextpower (NXT) (3.35%). 

SPDR S&P Kensho Clean Power ETF has rallied 67.3% over the past year. The fund charges 45 bps as fees.”

End quotes.

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More articles from around the world with Sustainable Investment Picks for February 2026.

1. Title: Top Wind Energy Stocks Worth Investing Now For Solid Returns on nasdaq.com. By Avisekh Bhattacharjee for Zacks.

2. Title: This Overlooked AI Infrastructure Stock Could Transform $1,000 Into Life-Changing Wealth on nasdaq.com. By Manali Pradhan.

3. Title: AI Energy Demand Stock Plays: BE, TE, CWEN, AMPX, BW on marketbeat.com. By Ryan Hasson, reviewed by Shannon Tokheim.

4. Title: Afraid the AI Boom Is Overheated? This Infrastructure Play Is Your Safety Net on finance.yahoo.com. By Stefon Walters, The Motley Fool.

5. Title: 3 of the most popular ethical/ESG ASX ETFs in 2026 on fool.com.au. By Aaron Bell.

6. Title: How OpenAI’s Revenue Growth Could Make These 3 AI Infrastructure Stocks Winners in 2026 on fool.com. By Adam Levy.

7. Title: The Secret AI Infrastructure Stock That Could Turn $1,000 Into a Fortune on nasdaq.com. By Manali Pradhan for The Motley Fool.

8. Title: The $1.4 Trillion AI Infrastructure Boom: 3 Stocks to Buy This Year on fool.com. By James Hires.

9. Title: Top Four AI Beneficiary Stocks to Buy Now on intellectia.ai. By Emily J. Thompson.

Continuing

10. Title: Ten companies leading Latin America’s energy transition on corporateknights.com. By CK Staff.

11. Title: Equinix a Top Socially Responsible Dividend Stock With 2.2% Yield (EQIX)on nasdaq.com. By BNK Invest.

12. Title: 3 Alternative Energy Stocks to Watch Despite Rising Cost Pressure on finance.yahoo.com. By Tanvi Sarawagi.

13. Title: Are Renewable Energy Stocks a Buy in 2026? on global.morningstar.com. By Valerio Baselli.

14. Title: 11 Best Alternative Energy Stocks to Invest In According to Analysts on insidermonkey.com. By Abdul Rahman in Hedge Funds, News.

15. Title: 3 AI Infrastructure Stocks Set to Win From $500 Billion in Capex This Year on fool.com. By Reuben Gregg Brewer.

16. Title: 5 alternative energy stocks riding the AI power crunch on msn.com. By Ryan Hasson at Marketbeat.

17. Title: Top Tech Companies Leading The Way In Climate Solutions on thedetroitbureau.com. By The Detroit Bureau.

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Ending Comment

These are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips for this podcast, “February 2026 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks.”

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Thank you for listening.

My next podcast will be on March 27th.

See you then. Bye for now.

 

© 2025 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul

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