CLIMATE AND FINANCE: FIVE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES

Our five picks to help you understand how the financial industry and other investors are tackling climate change.

1. Our Study Session on Financial Statements and Climate Risk Disclosure

*Members Only*

Review here: https://bit.ly/3aKg7jN

In this refresher session on Understanding Financial Statements, Aunnie goes through an example that demonstrates how businesses are (and are not) disclosing climate risk on their financial statements. You will also learn about what to look for when reviewing the financial statements of businesses or investments through this lens in the future. This is a hot topic, so you are bound to learn something new.

2. Accounting for Our Future

Read here: https://bit.ly/3OaRvPW (Oxford Strategy Review)

Here's an excerpt: "Once a side-issue, investors are increasingly realising that environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks could hit their bottom line, and that these impacts may not be too far into the future. For example, faulty equipment provided by Pacific Gas & Electric during California’s deadly wildfire in 2018 led the company to pleading guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter. The company later filed for bankruptcy due to the billions of dollars it owed in damages. Such cases highlight possible costs of prioritising profitability over public interest. It also illustrates why investors are increasingly putting pressure on companies to prevent and adapt to climate change."

3. What the war in Ukraine means for energy, climate and food

Read here: https://go.nature.com/3jBCOrd (Nature)

Here's an excerpt:

"Although the war in Ukraine will probably speed up Europe’s move away from fossil fuels, it could slow the clean energy transition — and boost greenhouse-gas emissions — in other parts of the world, fears Nikos Tsafos, who tracks global energy and geopolitics at the Center For Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington DC. Southeast Asia, in particular, could turn back towards coal if Europe effectively corners the international market for liquefied natural gas, according to Tsafos. And then there’s Russia itself, which accounted for nearly 5% of global emissions in 2020 and is unlikely to move forward with decarbonization in the absence of international political and economic engagement."

4. Sustainable Investing: Finding Climate Friendly Investments

Read here: https://bit.ly/3M3L9QG (Carbon Collective)

Here's an excerpt:

"If you’re prioritizing sustainable investment, you probably are happy to pay more for investments that better fit your values. But it’s hard to feel good about paying for the higher fees when the screening mechanisms are opaque and have obvious holes. Why pay extra for an eco fund that says it has no fossil fuel companies in it when it does, in fact, have fossil fuels in it?"

5. Factbox: Key takeaways from the IPCC report on climate change mitigation

Read here: https://reut.rs/36AzDNq (Reuters)

Here's an excerpt:

"Current emissions trajectories, if unchanged, put the planet on a path to warm by about 3.2 degrees C. If current national climate commitments are enacted, they still would fail to limit warming to 1.5 degrees C, instead putting the world on track for at least 2.2 degrees C if not more, the report says." At The Beam Network, we provide access to user-friendly resources that give you the confidence and ability to make informed and purposeful investment decisions. However, The Beam Network is not responsible for any exchanges outside of our platform.