Climate Transition Real Assets

Private infrastructure debt still offers a broad spectrum of opportunities, but investors face complex challenges. In this Q&A, our infrastructure debt team contemplate the current state of the market and where it goes from here.

How much do ocean circulation patterns impact economic outcomes and sovereign risk? Rick Stathers and Carmen Altenkirch assess El Niño, the climate phenomenon driving atmospheric circulation in the tropics, affecting everything from GDP to inflation and social stability.

Rapid changes in the global economy could tip some sectors into low-carbon phases faster than incumbents expect, with important investment implications.

Thomas Chinery and Justine Vroman discuss current conditions in the investment-grade market, the ECB’s “green QT” programme, and why oil and gas firms must go further and faster to decarbonise.

Demand for fuel and raw materials is decimating the natural world, making extreme climate effects more likely. So, what might the world be like for people and investors as we go beyond planetary boundaries?

Methane is the second most important gas contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide, but its warming potential is many times greater. Mikhaila Crosby explains why addressing emissions is a key priority.

Despite progress through our Climate Engagement Escalation Programme, more action is needed from the world’s 30 systemically important carbon emitters, as Sora Utzinger and Louise Wihlborn explain.

To help tackle the climate emergency, financial institutions and governments must work together to reform the global financial architecture and create a more robust net-zero transition plan, argue Steve Waygood and Thomas Tayler.

Financial services underpin all economic activity, which itself depends on Earth’s natural capital. Resolving their interconnected issues to bring about a just transition will require a holistic, systems-thinking approach.

A distorted sense of reality has caused us to disregard sustainability concerns when modelling economies, companies and finance. We can no longer ignore such material issues just because they are too hard to fathom. This is where systems thinking comes in, explains Steve Waygood.

Asset managers and other financial institutions have a duty to act in the best interests of their customers and society. Macro stewardship will be crucial to meeting these responsibilities, argues Mark Versey.

Warnings that natural systems are close to breaking point are not new – but how will we respond? Combining what we know with existing technologies could offer a remarkable opportunity to rethink our world, as Nafeez Ahmed explains.

How can we face existential problems and stay positive? Abigail Herron contemplates simple steps to protect momentum and avoid burnout.

Can society reform the system that has enabled growth but simultaneously brought the long-term health of the planet into question? UN Climate Change High Level Champions Finance Youth Fellow Natalie Mangondo contemplates choices and change with AIQ.

Reaching net zero by 2050 will require significant injections of capital. But it is also an opportunity to rethink social relationships, as Professor Nick Robins explains.

In this month’s instalment of our visual series on topical themes, we explore the world of biodiversity.