Patent ID: 8732058

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to perform a method comprising: selecting an investment fund from among a plurality of investment funds, the investment fund comprising an entity that buys, holds, and sells a plurality of different types of securities; determining at least one security that is excluded from the investment fund; calculating a carbon footprint of the at least one security, in which the act of calculating a carbon footprint comprises determining an estimated emission of at least one greenhouse gas associated with one or more activities conducted by at least one entity associated with the at least one security, the at least one greenhouse gas comprising carbon dioxide, calculating an amount of carbon credit necessary to neutralize the carbon footprint of the at least one security; purchasing an amount of carbon credit that is equal to the amount of carbon credit necessary to neutralize the carbon footprint of the at least one security; generating a financial instrument determined to have a neutralized carbon footprint, in which the act of generating the financial instrument comprises causing the at least one security and the purchased amount of carbon credit to be stored in a trust; and causing at least one share of the trust to be sold to the investment fund.