AIQ: Cleaning Up Capitalism

For too long, issues of justice and equality have been left out of the climate conversation. But policymakers, companies and investors are slowly beginning to acknowledge the social dimensions of climate action.

Renewable energy has a vital role to play if the world is to combat climate change. But its widespread adoption comes with a price. As older installations come to the end of their useful life, countries urgently need to work out what to do with the waste.

To align with net-zero emissions targets, the financial system needs a radical transformation. Can it get there and, if it does, what should it look like in 2050?

Internalise the climate externality. That is the major task facing policymakers and corporate executives. However, this requires accurate measurement and incorporation into financial accounts and neither are straightforward.

Energy majors, cement producers, utilities and financial services providers are among the latest targets of legal action designed to make them move faster towards a lower carbon world. Could this be an inflection point, as the conversation turns to specific responsibilities rather than vague commitments to change?

Nearly three decades after it first agreed to tackle climate change, the world has failed miserably to curb the growth in CO₂ emissions. To succeed, it urgently needs to establish an effective price for carbon.

Heavy industry and heavy transport are hard to decarbonise, but this must be done to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Can companies, policymakers and investors join forces to make it happen? The race is on…

Some of the world’s biggest companies are setting ambitious net-zero targets, with significant implications for their supply chains. How impactful could the ripple effect be in helping to meet the goals set out in the Paris Agreement?

Technology firms are often favoured by ESG funds because of their ostensibly clean, asset-light business models. But investors need to look deeper and challenge unethical and unsustainable practices across the industry, argue Louise Piffaut and Charles Devereux.

No single technology is enough to tackle the climate crisis, a global and systemic issue that requires joined-up thinking. We flag different pathways to address warming gases in the atmosphere – five nature-based and five technical – and ask what steps are needed next.

The tech-driven trend toward direct-to-consumer is transforming consumer brands, their intermediaries and their marketing. Intimate relationships with customers and new shopping experiences are alluring, but companies must tread a fine line between hyper-personalisation and intrusion.

Quantum computers have the potential to shake up finance, cybersecurity and other sectors. But investors hoping to profit from the new technology must be patient – and separate reality from hype.

Like Washington and Brussels, Beijing is worried about the growing power of large technology companies. But China’s regulators are taking swifter, more radical action than their peers in the West.

Facebook, Twitter and other platforms are drawing criticism for their failure to tackle hate content. But will the hit to their reputation do any lasting commercial damage?

Regulatory authorities around the world are targeting the big US tech giants. However, while investors need to keep a watchful eye on developments, Big Tech’s stranglehold and influence on numerous economic sectors will be hard to loosen.

The coronavirus pandemic has spurred companies to upgrade their digital capabilities, boosting productivity and creating investment opportunities in previously overlooked niches.

After decades of low returns on research and development (R&D), the healthcare sector is producing a slew of innovations, from drugs to diagnostics. But with many coming from new entrants, will big pharmaceutical companies manage to keep up with the times?

Governments around the world are struggling to avert a climate catastrophe. Regardless of whether they succeed, climate change threatens adverse consequences for government bonds, although market impacts are likely to vary.

Credit is an asymmetric asset class. The upside is a coupon payment and limited capital appreciation; the downside is a default to zero. For all maturities and bond types, ESG integration can play a crucial role in mitigating risk.

Trend rates of economic growth, which have been on the decline for decades in the world’s leading economies, look set to fall further. That will have big implications for governments, companies, households and investors, argues Stewart Robertson.

Relatively low vaccination rates, slowing Chinese growth, and terms of trade gains that may have largely peaked mean emerging market economies face several headwinds in 2022. Varying degrees of resilience and vulnerability are likely to result, argue Nafez Zouk and Carmen Altenkirch.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meetings are always a chance to reflect on the key trends affecting emerging markets. This year was no different. Carmen Altenkirch and Nafez Zouk engaged with policymakers and delegates to ascertain the real impact of the COVID pandemic on growth, fiscal metrics, and debt burdens.

Investors in China should view recent interventions by the government in the context of its history and longer-term strategic ambitions, argues Amy Kam.

Despite accusations Big Tech companies are too powerful, their stranglehold across sectors will be hard to loosen. However, while investors need to keep a watchful eye on developments, Big Tech’s stranglehold on numerous economic sectors will be hard to loosen.

In the latest instalment of our visual series on topical data themes, we look at the latest IPCC report, the significant decline in US real yields and people’s live TV versus streaming habits.

US Treasury yields have fallen appreciably in recent weeks, seemingly dismissing the threat of rising consumer prices. Some investors could be in for a nasty surprise if inflation proves more intransigent than anticipated, argue Michael Grady and Katarina Cohrs.

Emerging market debt investors need to keep a watchful eye on food price inflation as a potential key driver of monetary policy, especially as this has not coincided with a weaker US dollar, argues Nafez Zouk.

Like Washington and Brussels, Beijing is worried about the growing power of large technology companies. But China’s regulators are taking swifter, more radical action than their peers in the West.

Regulatory authorities around the world are targeting the big US tech giants. However, while investors need to keep a watchful eye on developments, Big Tech’s stranglehold and influence on numerous economic sectors will be hard to loosen.

The advent of tougher regulations after the global financial crisis led investors to think banks were safe. Was the Archegos scandal a wake-up call or much ado about nothing?

Deciding when to tighten the purse strings and hike taxes is complex at any time, and even more so when the economic fallout from COVID-19 remains unclear. Getting deficits – the gap between government spending and income – under control will need to happen eventually, but it would be a brave government that pursued such a goal now.

The market for sustainable bonds to fund activities that have a positive impact on the environment or society is booming. But there are many factors to consider before investing. Not least among them is a crucial question: is your money really being used to fund the activities promised?

Our real assets research analysts explore the whys and wherefores of understanding and managing the carbon footprint of their portfolios.

Darryl Murphy assesses the current state of the UK infrastructure market and the likely drivers of activity in 2022.

As the trajectory of COVID-19 continues to evolve, Isabel Gossling looks at the implications for European real estate and long-lease strategies.

Trend rates of economic growth, which have been on the decline for decades in the world’s leading economies, look set to fall further. That will have big implications for governments, companies, households and investors, argues Stewart Robertson.

Darryl Murphy assesses the implications and opportunities for infrastructure investors.

The path to a sustainable future for private markets is full of opportunity but also complexity, as Laurence Monnier and Ed Dixon explain.

Watch our video to find out how offices can provide a powerful tool in boosting productivity, and attracting and retaining the best talent.

The global pandemic may have accelerated demand for data infrastructure, but the underlying drivers behind the growth of data centre markets go far beyond short-term factors, explains Laurence Monnier.

The green premium is an elusive concept. Laurence Monnier reviews the academic literature and crunches some numbers to try and quantify the extra pricing power afforded by more sustainable commercial properties.

Asset managers of many different hues claim they are thinking harder about their social role: the ‘S’ in ESG. But evaluating social value generated from investment decisions is not straightforward, as consultant Dr Kelly Watson from Hatch explains.

The inequalities highlighted by COVID-19 have led to much soul searching, including among investors on whether they are doing enough to address the issues of the day. Ed Dixon, Aviva Investors’ head of ESG - real assets, contemplates how investors in tangible assets can put capital to work to drive change.

The tragedy and destruction caused by the Blitz created an unintended natural experiment in urban redevelopment. Chris Urwin reflects on what this can teach us anything about agglomeration economies and the resilience of cities.

Unlike liquid markets and real estate, a lack of publicly available data has made assessing risk more challenging for infrastructure equity assets. Laurence Monnier considers the options for investors looking to complement qualitative assessments with quantitative rigour.

Herd-like lending behaviour is counter-productive and exacerbates real estate risks. Gregor Bamert argues a wider range of capital sources and investment approaches may help combat this in future.

Low interest rates, regulation and ESG risks are not new considerations for insurers’ investment strategies. However, the long-term fallout from COVID-19 is adding a layer of complexity they will need to adjust to.

In our monthly visual series on topical data themes, we look at whether Bitcoin could be the new gold, if COVID-19 has put pressure on London office rents, and the extent to which transport affects the carbon footprint of foods.

In late 2020, AIQ spoke to Aviva Investors’ senior management about institutional racism and the continued under-representation of black people in finance. They outlined a series of key actions, to improve in-house diversity and inclusion and our engagement with investee companies. A little more than a year on, we explore areas of progress, where more needs to be done, and plans for 2022 and beyond. 

Could nature degradation prove a significant threat to corporate and financial stability? As climate change accelerates, oceans acidify, deforestation and soil erosion continue and species are lost, this important question is weighing on investors and financial regulators around the world.

Employers have considerable room for improvement when it comes to the working experience for neurodivergent individuals. But a little more understanding and some fairly simple adjustments could make a world of difference.

With governments struggling to turn words into action on climate change, investors can ensure the private sector plays its part by pushing firms to adopt science-based targets, argues Rick Stathers.

Asset managers must promote diversity of thought if they are to future-proof their businesses and provide clients with great service. They can learn valuable lessons on how to do this from tech companies, military leaders and ancient philosophers, writes Apiramy Jeyarajah, head of UK wholesale at Aviva Investors.

Heavy industry and heavy-duty transport are responsible for nearly a third of global carbon dioxide emissions. While reducing emissions from these sectors will be difficult, the transformation will create opportunities for investors.

Recognising that being a good corporate citizen is the right thing to do and pays off is something investors and the financial community need to think harder about, argue Vaidehee Sachdev and Matt Kirby.

In part two of our series on intersectionality, Apiramy Jeyarajah, head of UK wholesale at Aviva Investors, and Mitesh Sheth, outgoing CEO of Redington, explain what investment organisations can do to maximise the return on their most important assets – their people.

Using the examples of electronics, food, autos and fashion, we explore the benefits of, and challenges to achieving, a more circular economy.

Scientists around the world have highlighted the need to tread more lightly on the planet, halting then reversing the decline of the natural world. But the financial community, including investors, has been slow to respond.

Enabling neuroinclusion in the workplace still has a long way to go, although better understanding and simple adjustments could make a world of difference.

In this month’s instalment of our visual series on topical data themes, we look at the steep increase in deliveries, the continued deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and the rise of COVID-19 in Europe.

Employees are a company’s greatest asset. Leaders must take an inclusive, intersectional approach to enable them to give their best, argues Apiramy Jeyarajah.

COP26 was billed as ‘the most important meeting in history’. Steve Waygood had a front row seat and shares his thoughts on the climate conference.

Trend rates of economic growth, which have been on the decline for decades in the world’s leading economies, look set to fall further. That will have big implications for governments, companies, households and investors, argues Stewart Robertson.

In this month’s instalment of our visual series on topical data themes, we focus on climate change as the world turns its attention to the COP26 summit in Glasgow.