Are You Overlooking These Stocks of the Future?

What's the projected lifespan of your investment account? For most of us, it's measured in decades, or possibly even generations if you're building a legacy. The investments that'll carry you through -- the stocks of the future -- are the companies that are working now to extend their competitive advantage in the years ahead.

Every leadership team has its own way of managing for the future. But there's one general approach that can create competitive advantages for nearly any type of business. It involves seeking out and eliminating unsustainable business practices, before they become obsolete or damaging to the business or its stakeholders.

You might associate corporate sustainability efforts with the environment, and you wouldn't be wrong. That's only part of the equation, however. Investors reward companies that address sustainability from three angles: Environmental, social, and governance, commonly abbreviated as ESG. Sustainable social practices promote equal opportunity, worker safety, career development, human rights, and positive community impact. Governance addresses executive compensation, board diversity, business ethics, and political activity.

Source Fool.com