10 ASX Cleantech Stocks (Updated 2024)

Reliance Worldwide (ASX:RWC)Clean technology covers a number of industry sectors, such as low-emission technologies, renewable energy, water and wastewater technologies as well as waste and resource efficiencies.

“The clean energy economy is a major industrial sector and an important contributor to the global economy,” according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). In its latest report, the IEA states that clean energy investment increased nearly 50 percent between 2019 to 2023 to reach US$1.8 trillion in 2023.

Australia’s cleantech arena is also performing with strength, according to the Deloitte Australia CleanTech (DACT) Index , which offers a quarterly review of cleantech stocks listed on the ASX. The companies included in the Index range across renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable minerals, energy storage, battery minerals and water treatment.

In the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2024, the DACT Index increased in value by 7.2 percent compared to a 11.5 percent decrease in the previous quarter. “This was primarily driven by strong performances in the Water, Renewable Energy and Waste sub-indices” stated the report.

With the positive outlook for cleantech in mind, here’s a look at 10 ASX cleantech stocks that are tracked by the Deloitte Australia CleanTech Index. Companies are listed in order of largest to smallest by market cap, and all numbers and figures were current as of March 20, 2024.

1. Reece (ASX:REH)

Market cap: AU$17.19 billion; share price: AU$27.73

Reece Group is a global leader in wholesale, import and distribution of plumbing, waterworks and HVAC-R products in Australia, New Zealand and the US. Through the Reece Foundation, the company helps to connect trades to communities in need of clean water and sanitation.

During the quarter, the company is one of the two strongest performers in the DACT Water sub-index along with Reliance Worldwide Corp; and the top positive contributor to the Index.

2. Meridian Energy (ASX:MEZ)

Market cap: AU$13.86 billion; share price: AU$5.36

Meridian Energy is New Zealand’s largest electricity generator with five wind farms, seven hydro power stations and commercial solar arrays.The company is building out a new wind farm in Harapaki, which will be New Zealand’s second largest wind farm. The company also designed and built the Ross Island wind farm, which is located in Antarctica.

Meridian was one of the top positive contributors to the DACT Index during the quarter.

3. Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS)

Market cap: AU$11.74 billion; share price: AU$3.90

Pilbara Minerals is one of Australia’s largest lithium companies by market cap. Its flagship project is the Pilgangoora project located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, which produces spodumene and tantalite concentrate.

Pilbara is currently working on multiple expansion projects at Pilgangoora. and targeting a spodumene production increase at the site to 1 million MT per year. The company has long-term agreements with China’s Ganfeng Lithium (OTC Pink:GNENF,SZSE:002460), Great Wall Motor Company (OTC Pink:GWLLF,HKEX:2333), Yibin Tianyi and General Lithium.

4. Arcadium Lithium (ASX:LTM)

Market cap: AU$10.36 billion; share price: AU$6.92

Another of Australia’s top lithium producers, Arcadium Lithium is also one of the world’s largest lithium companies, with operations and development projects across the Americas, Asia, and the UK. Formed out of the recent US$10.6 billion merger between Allkem and Livent, it has a production capacity of 248,000 MT of lithium carbonate equivalent per year.

Arcadium Lithium produces a wide range of lithium chemicals products derived from hard-rock mining, conventional pond based brine extraction, direct lithium brine extraction (DLE) and lithium chemicals manufacturing.

5. Mercury (ASX:MCY)

Market cap: AU$8.97 billion; share price: AU$6.45

Mercury is a New Zealand-based gas, renewable electricity and internet provider.

The company’s electricity generation comes from a variety of renewable energy sources, including wind, hydro and geothermal. Mercury’s 9 hydro stations are responsible for an average of 10 percent of New Zealand’s annual electricity supply. It also operates five geothermal plants and five wind farms, including the country’s largest.

The company was one of the top positive contributors to the DACT Index during the quarter.

6. Contact Energy (ASX:CEN)

Market cap: AU$6.16 billion; share price: AU$7.80

New Zealand-based utility company Contact Energy provides electricity, natural gas, broadband, solar and renewable energy. It owns and operates 11 power stations and produces 80 to 85 percent of its electricity from its renewable hydro and geothermal stations.

Contact Energy recently was the highest of five New Zealand companies to land on the 2023 Dow Jones Sustainability Index Asia-Pacific. The company was also the winner of Deloitte’s Sustainability Leadership award for leading decarbonisation efforts through its Contact26 strategy, which includes more than $1.2 billion investment in renewable generation projects.

7. Cleanaway Waste (ASX:CWY)

Market cap: AU$5.77 billion; share price: AU$2.59

One of the biggest companies in Australia’s waste sector, Cleanaway Waste is an end-to-end e-waste recycler with 250 branches nationwide. The company was one of the top positive contributors to the DACT Index during the quarter.

Cleanaway Waste is well-positioned to offer solutions to the country’s plastic waste challenge as well as the country’s need to become waste self-sufficient after China’s ban on recycling originating from Australia.

8. Reliance Worldwide (ASX:RWC)

Market cap: AU$4.5 billion; share price: AU$5.69

Reliance Worldwide designs, manufactures and supplies high-efficiency water flow and control products. The company is also a global leader in the manufacturer of push-to-connect behind-the-wall plumbing fittings. As its name suggests, Reliance’s footprint is worldwide with 29 distribution hubs, 14 manufacturing plants and 5 innovation centres across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The company is one of the two strongest performers in the DACT Water sub-index for the period along with Reece.

9. Sims (ASX:SGM)

Market cap: AU$2.33 billion; share price: AU$12.07

Sims Metal, a business division of Sims, has established itself as an integral part of the circular economy through buying and recycling scrap metal, including ferrous and non-ferrous metals. The company has more than 200 processing facilities in the United States, United Kingdom and Australasia.

On its website, Sims Metal states that its mission is to “create a world without waste to preserve our planet, is what drives us to constantly innovate and offer new solutions in the circular economy for consumers, businesses, governments and communities around the world.”