Today is Friday, 02 August 2024.
“Global Climate Investing Survey 2024: Realism on the transition journey”.
This is the title of a study released by Robeco, an international asset manager of Dutch origin with about €200 billion managed in ESG-integrated assets.
“Investors are now becoming more knowledgeable, cautious and less naive in their approach to tackling climate change. That’s the main message from the Robeco Global Climate Investing Survey 2024, which shows greater realism on the long road to a low-carbon world.” indicates the press release from Robeco.
This is Robeco’s 4th annual survey and covered 300 investors. Results showed wide regional differences in attitudes to climate investing, with Asia-Pacific powering ahead, surpassing even Europe, while interest in North America lags behind.
From the study we quote: “A North American pension fund commented that it wanted asset managers “to demonstrate that a decarbonized portfolio can perform as well as a carbonized portfolio. We have to get the best returns for our participants”. And a North American wholesale investor said it wanted asset managers to “focus on benefits not only to the planet but potential returns to investors”.
This scenario in North America is already known by Carbon Credit Markets readers.
On the other hand, another investor said “A benefit of financing the transition is that it makes your investment universe bigger. We are not just doing this because it is a good thing to do; this is the way forward for Asia”.
And still another added “There is a realization that as much as our country’s economic fortunes are energy-dependent, climate change is happening. A lot of people thought it was a ‘generations to come’ problem, but we are experiencing its impact now”.
Taxonomies that specify green investments were indicated as importante references, besides science-based targets and better disclosures, specially to mitigate the risk of greenwashing during these transition times.
Investors also answered questions such as “Is the Paris Agreement target achievable?” , with a comparison of results between 2023 and 2024. By the way, a significant change, as you can see by yourself.
Click at the image below to download that 29-pages publication, upon sign up.
Last but not least let’s recall that visiting Brazil a few days ago the United States Secretary of the Treasury indicated that no less than US$3 trillion until 2050 will be required in the transition to a lower-carbon global economy.