The investment community is rewarding corporates that are tackling climate change amid warnings from leading scientists that only 12 years remain to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
A report released by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said the impacts of climate change, from floods to extreme heat and poverty, will be worse if the globe exceeds temperatures by half a degree (to 2C). In addition, “any increase in global warming is projected to affect human health, with primarily negative consequences,” the IPCC said.
The report was finalised at a meeting in South Korea last week.
With drastic changes needed to curb temperature rises, asset managers warned that climate change was not just a government issue but a collective one which required action from society as a whole.
“We are seeing a growing willingness across every element of society to contribute proactively to a more efficient and sustainable world – with corporates at the forefront of this change,” said Thomas Sørensen and Henning Padberg, portfolio managers of the Nordea 1 – Global Climate and Environment Equity fund.
“The economic incentive, where it makes economic sense for both consumers and corporates to invest in climate solutions, has clearly reached an inflection point. Companies understand improving sustainability is vital to remaining competitive in today’s world.”
Indeed, climate change can no longer be considered an anomaly after a number of regions around the world felt the effects of a scorching summer.
“This is why investors really cannot ignore climate change,” said Esmé van Herwijnen, responsible investment analyst at EdenTree Investment Management.
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