BC
Uploaded byBig Path Capital
354 views

SmarterMoney+ Review 5 - Winter 2016

This document profiles several individuals involved with Big Path Capital, an investment bank focused on impact and sustainable investing. It introduces Shawn Lesser and Michael Whelchel, the co-founders of Big Path Capital, and provides brief biographies of several directors and a broker-dealer also involved with the company. It then provides an overview of Big Path Capital, describing its mission to help mission-driven companies and funds while preserving their missions through financial transactions, and its focus on working with companies, funds, hosting events for institutional investors, and field building through its Impact Academy and SmarterMoney+ Review publication.

Download to read offline
SmarterMoney+ Review Winter 2016 / Volume 5 Presents Maximize Impact + Maximize Return Across Asset Classes Thought leadership for impact investors Voted Best In Class Impact Reports ™ Special Edition: Top 10 Smartest Reports on the Intersection of Climate Change and Finance
SHAWN LESSER – CO-FOUNDER & PARTNER Shawn Lesser has over twenty years of experience in the financial advisory sector to Big Path Capital. Prior to co-founding Big Path Capital, Shawn founded the investment bank, Sustainable World Capital, which assisted cleantech companies in raising capital from European institutional investors. Shawn has been Co-Head and Managing Director of the international equity teams at Morgan Keegan and at Deutsche Bank. He is the author of the book, 2012 Global Cleantech Directory: 100 Cleantech Lists That Matter. In partnership with Michael Whelchel, Shawn has founded a number of first of their kind initiatives all of which demonstrate SmarterMoney+- maximize return, maximize impact. Those include the Five Fund Forum, Impact Capitalism Summit, and Impact & Sustainable Trade Missions. In 2010, Shawn also co-founded the Global Cleantech Cluster Association as a meta- cluster to create momentum and move the cleantech market by networking global clusters together. Shawn speaks at events around the world on the topic of Impact and Sustainable Investment and partners with the US Department of Commerce conducting the Impact and Sustainable Trade Mission across the globe. Shawn received his BS in Finance from Syracuse University. He is conversant in German and Spanish and lives in Atlanta, Georgia. MICHAEL WHELCHEL – CO-FOUNDER & PARTNER Michael Whelchel brings over two decades of experience financing, acquiring, selling, growing, and operating growth-oriented companies to Big Path Capital. Prior to co-founding Big Path Capital, he worked with both start-ups and later-stage companies in a range of industries, playing key roles in the early development of two private equity firms focused on growth-oriented companies. Michael managed the full investment process including sourcing, deal structure, due diligence, negotiations, financing, portfolio management, sales on exit, and fund raising. In 2007, with the old economy at a dead end, Michael established Big Path Capital to advance an expansive economy built on natural, social, and financial capital. In partnership with Shawn Lesser, Michael has founded a number of first of their kind initiatives all of which demonstrate SmarterMoney+ - maximize return, maximize impact. Those include the Five Fund Forum, Impact Capitalism Summit, and Impact & Sustainable Trade Missions. Michael received his BA summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from the University of the South in Sewanee, TN and received a joint MBA and MEM (Master of Engineering Management) from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. Michael is an advisory board member of the Croatan Institute and the Babson Center for Global Commerce and is a member of the Social Venture Network and Net Impact. JYOTI AGGARWALA – DIRECTOR Jyoti is a seasoned financial services professional with more than twenty five years of finance and institutional sales experience. She has dedicated the last fifteen years of her career to building relationships with top-tier institutional investors globally who are investing in alternative assets, primarily venture capital and private equity. Her cumulative work experience has been across asset classes, strategies and geographies including US Equities & Emerging Asian Equity Markets, and Alternatives - Emerging Market Real Estate, Indian Growth Expansion, European Infrastructure, US Private Equity and Venture. Jyoti is equally skilled and experienced in organizing investor events that are both educational and provide an opportunity for business development and networking. Jyoti has approached her career in an entrepreneurial manner working independently for the last nine years during which time she was registered with Scarsdale Equities, LLC between 2009 and 2015. Prior to that she was a partner with Thomas Capital Group, a Seattle based boutique private placement firm. She has also worked with leading domestic and international brokerage firms including Ladenburg, Thalmann & Co, Nomura Securities, and Peregrine Brokerage, Inc. Ms Aggarwala holds Series 7, 63 and 24 registrations. She earned an MBA in Finance from Bentley University and a BA (Honors) in Economics from Delhi University. She frequently volunteers to teach financial literacy to students through the High Water Women financial literacy program. JORDAN BEBEE – DIRECTOR Jordan has over eleven years of combined experience in private equity and venture capital fund fundraising, public accounting, and impact entrepreneurship. At Thomas Capital Group, Inc., a boutique placement agent headquartered near Seattle, WA, Jordan held a variety of responsibilities including: new business research, development and due-diligence; sales and marketing material production; and sales and marketing support and facilitation. He also served as co-head of the firm’s finance department. Prior to joining Thomas Capital Group in 2007, Jordan worked as a senior auditor at Moss Adams LLP in Seattle, specializing in hedge funds, RIAs, broker-dealers, specialty finance firms and the broader financial services industry. He graduated magna cum laude from Linfield College with a B.A. in Accounting and a minor in Philosophy. He co-captained the men’s soccer team for two years and was honored as an NSCAA All-American and NSCAA All-American Scholar. Jordan, a beginning farmer himself with a farm in the Pacific Northwest, has a strong interest in regenerative agriculture and food systems. NANCY ROSENZWEIG – DIRECTOR Nancy has two decades of leadership experience in values driven, consumer-facing companies. She has held C level and or governance positions at Bright Horizons, Tom’s of Maine, ZipCar, Mamma Chia, Root Capital and Trillium Asset Management. Nancy has an impressive track record of creating business value by identifying consumer trends ahead of the curve. In her leadership roles Nancy has been successful at raising capital, managing mergers, spin-outs and corporate sales to strategic buyers. DAN KOLBER - BROKER DEALER Dan started his legal career with a major Wall Street law firm in New York City. Also, he has co-founded and served as chief operating officer of a regional airline, and founded and served as chief executive officer of several securities firms and investment advisory firms in addition to Intellivest Securities, Inc. and Intellivest Securities Research, Inc. He has been credited by Inc. Magazine and the Wall St. Journal with designing the zero coupon convertible note for use in the private sector. He has been featured in a book published by Inc. Magazine profiling his creative use of this instrument. He holds the following securities licenses: General Securities Principal (Series 24), Financial and Operations Principal (Series 27), Municipal Securities Principal (Series 53), Registered Options Principal (Series 4), Research Principal (Series 87), Investment Banker (Series 79) and Registered Investment Advisor (Series 65). His education is as follows: New York University School of Law, Ll.M., 1981; University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1978; and Boston University, B.A., 1975, magna cum laude. He is an active member of the following bars: Virginia (1978); Florida (1978); New York (1979) and Georgia (1985). Dan Kolber has the “AV” rating by Martindale-Hubbell, its highest ranking for lawyers.
About the Publisher Overview. Leveraging one of the largest networks of Impact Investors globally, Big Path Capital assists purpose- driven companies and funds ensuring mission preservation across financial transactions, including acquisitions, mergers, and capital raises. Big Path has worked in over 100 engagements, more than any investment bank in the sector. As a global firm, Big Path Capital is advancing a sustainable economy connecting mission-driven companies and fund managers with mission-aligned investors. Big Path Capital’s clients include entrepreneurs, companies, and fund managers advancing an expansive economy built on natural, social, and financial capital. Mission. Big Path Capital’s principals are dedicated to fund managers and business owners expanding the path for business interests seeking multiple bottom lines, taking the new economy from the margins to the mainstream, and pursuing business that generates good as it generates return. Big Path champions the client’s mission, scaling growth, and perpetuating and expanding impact. Big Path Capital is proud to be a founding B Corp member. Key Focus Areas. Big Path represents the largest impact investing network in the sector and focuses on: • Companies. Big Path assists business owners with financial transactions including company sales, acquisitions, and capital raises. • Funds. Big Path assists fund managers in capital introductions. • Events. Big Path curates events focused on institutional investors. Those include the Impact Capitalism Summit ( Chicago and Nantucket), the Five Fund Forum, the Impact & Sustainable Trade Missions in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Impact Capitalism Train Stop Tour which will be providing half-day educational sessions in 15 different cites. • Field Building. Big Path has launched the Impact Academy to assist institutional investors on how to integrate impact investing into their investment strategies, and is committed to publishing the SmarterMoney+ Review bi-annually. IMPACT ACADEMY
SmarterMoney+ Review Winter 2015 Letter from Contributing Editor The Paris Agreement adopted by nearly 200 nations at the COP21 UN Climate Conference in December last year has paved the way for unprecedented global cooperation to tackle climate change. Alongside governments, nearly 500 investors with more than $25 trillion in assets under management joined cities, regions, businesses, and civil society in calling for concerted action to limit global temperature increases to less than 2° Celsius above pre- industrial levels. Against this backdrop and the rapidly growing fossil-free Divest-Invest movement, we have brought together a compendium of ten of the most significant recent papers addressing climate change and finance in this special issue of SmarterMoney+ Review. Chosen by an expert Selection Committee of leading impact investors and climate specialists, these papers highlight the deepening commitment on the part of investors to manage climate risk, “decarbonize” their portfolios, and seize opportunities associated with the transition to a low-carbon energy future. Thomas Burton, head of the cleantech practice at the law firm of Mintz Levin; Alicia Seiger, Deputy Director of the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance at Stanford University; Sara Silver, Head of Outreach and Communications of the CDP; Lindsey White, Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships at Ceres; and Adam Wolfensohn, Co-Managing Partner and Board of Directors from Encourage Capital have joined our enlarged Selection Committee to advise us on this issue. The first paper by Alliance Bernstein strategists Michael Parker, Flora Chang, and Derek Lam, on Asia Strategy: Shouldn’t We All Be Dead by Now?, stresses the rapid pace with which solar and other renewables are in the process of displacing fossil fuels over the next two decades. With massive, stranded carbon assets looming on the horizon, they anticipate a collapse in CO2 emissions by the end of the decade. Although they argue that climate change won’t likely occur as a consequence of these trends, this also leads them to the paradoxical investment conclusion that fossil-fuel extraction should accelerate in the short term ahead of this energy transition, particularly in the Asian economies that they closely follow. Carbon Asset Risk: From Rhetoric to Action, a report published by Ceres with the Two Degree Investing Initiative, Energy Transition Advisors, and Carbon Tracker Initiative, highlights the increasing acceptance of the concept of “carbon asset risk” within capital markets. Although the transition to a lower-carbon economy is occurring much more gradually than they believe is needed, the study documents the multiple ways that both companies and investors are beginning to evaluate and assess their exposure to carbon risk and then manage it through disclosure, diversification, divestment, and engagement. The US edition of CDP’s 2015 Climate Change Report similarly documents how major Wall Street investment firms have increasingly embraced low-carbon investment themes. Growing percentages of the largest publicly traded US companies have begun taking action to manage climate-related risks in their operations, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions or increasing energy efficiency. Consequently, US-based asset managers, index providers, and ratings agencies are building out product offerings that incorporate environmental, social, and governance factors into funds, indices, and bond ratings. Several of the papers presented here help institutional investors grapple with the risks and opportunities that climate change poses to their portfolios. Action on Climate: A Practical Guide for Fiduciaries, a toolkit developed by Responsible Endowments Coalition, SEIU’s Capital Stewardship Program, and Croatan Institute, provides practical resources to support the decision-making process of endowments, foundations, faith-based investors, and pension funds as they seek to take action on climate change. The papers by leading institutional investment consultants Mercer and Cambridge Associates make forceful cases for assessing portfolio risks that climate change amplifies. The Cambridge study, Risks and Opportunities from the Changing Climate, provides a series
of both defensive and offensive tactics for long-term investors to integrate climate change and resource efficiency into their investment strategies. The Mercer paper, Investing in a Time of Climate Change, builds upon the firm’s earlier, path-breaking work on strategic asset allocation around climate risk. This report places particular emphasis on managing climate risks within asset classes and industry sectors across short-, medium-, and long-term time horizons. Two of the selected papers use scenario analysis to document the threat of significant potential losses due to climate change and the emerging low-carbon energy transition. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s paper The Cost of Inaction: Recognising the Value at Risk from Climate Change calculates more than $4 trillion in value at risk for manageable financial assets, with nearly $14 trillion in present value losses under more extreme, tail-risk scenarios involving 6°C of global warming. The Carbon Tracker Initiative’s “Lost in Transition” report provides an illuminating assessment of the substantial downside risks associated with the demand destruction occurring within the fossil fuel-based energy sector – as solar energy generating capacity builds out at rates accelerating far more rapidly than historically forecast over the last decade and a half. Prudent investors will need to pay much closer attention to their exposure to these increasingly material climate-related risks. The Risky Business Project provides a more place-based angle on the economic risks associated with climate change, by zeroing in on wide-ranging threats faced by California’s diverse economy. From Boom to Bust? Climate Risk in the Golden State argues that the world’s eighth largest economy will see a dramatic increase in extreme heat and drought and widespread coastal property losses due to sea level rise. If rapid action is not taken, the paper argues, then climate change will pose urgent threats to some of the state’s most important businesses – in agriculture, tourism and recreation, and real estate. California thus provides a microcosmic case study of the wider kinds of economic risks – and opportunities – that global warming is already amplifying in many places around the world. Finally, we conclude this issue with an overview of the state of climate finance, provided by R20 Regions of Climate Action and the University of Southern California’s Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy. Climate Finance: A Status Report & Action Plan proposes the development of new low-carbon investment vehicles that would provide attractive risk-adjusted returns to private investors in order to supplement the public-sector financial commitments made by governments at the Paris Climate Change Conference. Given the $1 trillion annual investment gap in energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies needed to stabilize the climate, private investors – for better or worse – will clearly need to step into the void. For all the risks that climate change clearly presents, this collection also makes clear that the opportunities associated with the emerging transition to a lower-carbon economy are abundant and immediate – across asset classes. We hope this selection of studies inspires you to take action on climate today. Joshua Humphreys Shawn Lesser Michael Whelchel President Managing Partner Managing Partner Croatan Institute Big Path Capital Big Path Capital The SmarterMoney Review are not research reports and are not intended to be relied upon to make any investment decision; they are for general education only to educate the public about Impact Investing. Big Path and Intellivest Securities, Inc. have not verified the information contained in these articles and are not responsible for the content or any actions taken by any one in reliance thereon. Articles contained herein have been reprinted with permission. Disclaimer: Investing banking services are provided by Intellivest Securities, Inc. a member of FINRA (www.finra.org). The presentations given by fund managers at the Summit do not constitute an offering of securities. Such an offer may only be made in compliance with disclosure and delivery requirements under applicable, securities laws and will be limited to prescribed categories of investors.
Table of Contents Energy Markets 11 Carbon Exposure 16 Carbon Asset Risk: From Rhetoric to Action by CERES 17 Climate Change Report 2015: The mainstreaming of low-carbon on Wall Street by CDP 22 Asia Strategy: Shouldn't we all be dead by now? by Alliance Bernstein 12 Climate Exposure 26 Action on Climate: A Practical Guide for Fiduciaries by Responsible Endowments Coalition 27 From Boom to Bust? Climate Risk in the Golden State by Risky Business 33 Investing in a Time of Climate Change by Mercer 38 Lost in Transition by Carbon Tracker 41 Risks & Opportunities From the Changing Climate by Cambridge Associates 44 The Cost of Inaction: Recognising the Value at Risk from Climate Change by The Economist Intelligence Unit 47 Climate Finance 53 Climate Finance: A Status Report & Action Plan by R20 Regions of Climate Action and USC Schwarzenegger 54 Institute for State and Global Policy Consulting Editor & Selection Committee 7 Articles contained herein have been reprinted with permission. The featured articles were nominated by well-known leaders within the impact investing community and the top ten were selected by the review committee including Big Path Capital, Cambridge Associates, Encourage Capital, Mintz Levin, Prudential Financial, Croatan Institute, Athena Capital Advisors, CERES, CDP, and Stanford Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy & Finance. 6
Consulting Editor Selection Committee Joshua Humphreys is the President and Senior Fellow at the Croatan Institute, an independent institute for advanced social and environmental research and engagement. A leading authority on sustainable and responsible investing, Dr. Humphreys has taught at Harvard, Princeton, and NYU. His insights on trends in sustainable finance and impact investing have been widely published in the press, most recently in Barron’s, Bloomberg, BusinessWeek, the Financial Times, Forbes, Institutional Investor, Pensions and Investments, and the Journal of Investing. He currently serves on advisory boards of the Dwight Hall SRI Fund at Yale University, the responsible Endowments Coalition, and the Coalition for Responsible Investment at Harvard. Luke Apicella has eight years of impact investing experience. As an associate with Prudential Impact Investments, he is responsible for the origination and asset management activities to grow the portfolio to $1 billion. He covers numerous relationships, industries, private asset types, and impact objectives. Apicella serves on the boards and/or committees for several portfolio companies including a Real Estate Investment Trust, a Community Development Finance Institution, and a local start-up. His signature transactions include a term loan for an innovative charter school in New York City with performance pay for teachers, a co-investment with a leading private equity fund in a high growth sustainable consumer goods company, and a next vintage investment in the top performing affordable housing fund. Apicella started his career with Prudential and soon after became an analyst with Impact Investments responsible for the portfolio management Joshua Humphreys President and Senior Fellow Croatan Institute Luke Apicella Associate Prudential Impact Investments Tom’s global practice focuses on complex corporate finance matters including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, private equity, and securities transactions. He represents high- growth and emerging businesses, including companies in the energy and clean technology, social media and software industries, as well as life science companies, from start-ups to public companies. Tom is member of the firm’s Policy Committee. In 2004, Tom founded, and currently chairs, the firm’s Energy Technology Practice, which serves more than 250 clients. Since 2006, the firm’s Energy Technology Practice has completed more than 350 transactions in this sector totaling over $7 billion. Tom is ranked by Best Lawyers in America in the Corporate Law section, and he is recognized by The Legal Thomas Burton III Member Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. activities including valuation, forecasting, and reporting. Apicella has degrees in sustainability management from Columbia University (MS), finance from New York University (MBA), and entrepreneurship from Syracuse University (BS). 500 Unites States as “rising to the fore” in energy technology for Venture Capital and Emerging Companies. 7
Selection Committee (continued) Noelle is a Senior Investment Director in the Mission- Related Investing (“MRI”) Group in Cambridge Associates’ Arlington office. She identifies and researches MRI managers across asset classes and serves as a resource to generalist investment directors in the firm by monitoring managers in clients’ MRI programs. Prior to rejoining the firm in 2010, Noelle was a senior investment advisor at the IAM National Pension Fund, where she focused on alternative assets, including portable alpha, hedge funds, natural resources, infrastructure, opportunistic debt, and private equity. Noelle began her career at Cambridge Associates as a consulting associate in 2003. During her time at the firm, she was promoted to senior consulting associate and team leader responsible for overseeing consulting associates and liaising with firm wide management. In addition, Noelle was involved in the firm’s consulting associaterecruiting initiatives. Noelle Laing Sr. Investment Director Cambridge Associates Michael Lear is a Vice President on the Portfolio Management Team. An experienced portfolio manager, Michael came to Athena from MetLife Investment Strategies Group where he worked as a portfolio advisor. Prior to that Michael worked as a portfolio manager at Carruth Associates managing assets for an investment division of the single family office. He also spent eight years as a portfolio manager at State Street Global Advisors where he worked on the Multi Asset Class Solutions team focusing on exposure management and portable alpha as well as in the Investor Solutions Group where he focused on tax efficient solutions for high net worth clients. Michael earned his B.S. in Marketing from Boston College and holds an M.S. in Investment Management from Boston University. Michael has received the Certified Investment Management Analyst designation, the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation, is a member of the Investment Management Consultants Associationand the Boston Security Michael Lear VP, Portfolio Management Athena Capital Advisors As Deputy Director of the Stanford Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy & Finance, Alicia manages the center’s research, programming, operations, and market engagement. Alicia also leads the center’s work to identify opportunities for philanthropic and long-term investors to fill financing gaps to scale up clean energy. Prior to joining the center, Alicia founded Climate Strategy Partners, a strategic advisory services provider that designed and executed climate and energy programs for foundations, investors and NGOs. She has served on the management teams of multiple startups, including at TerraPass, a pioneer of the US carbon offset market, and Flycast Communications, one of the first web advertising networks. Alicia is a member of Ceres President’s Council, and serves as an advisor to PRIME – Program Related Investment Makers: Energy and the Los Angeles Business Council Institute. She holds a MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she also served as a case writer for the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, and a BA in Environmental Alicia Seiger Deputy Director Stanford Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy & Finance Sara Silver Head of Outreach & Communications CDP Sara Silver researches carbon-efficient finance and coordinates carbon pricing outreach for CDP, a global not-for- profit that analyzes companies’ climate risks and opportunities on behalf of 822 institutional investors representing $95 trillion in assets. More than 5,500 companies -- representing more than half of the world’s publicly traded stock -- disclosed environmental information through CDP last year. As a journalist, Sara was a Wall Street Journal staff writer covering technology, a Financial Times correspondent in Latin America, and covered New York City and Mexico for The Associated Press. She has edited two books on global financial markets, fund management columns for the FT and international news for AP. She also helped develop business plans for clean energy start-ups. Sara earned an MBA from Columbia Business School analyst Society. Michael is a CFA charterholder and currently holds the Series 6 license and Series 63 license. Noelle is a CFA Charter holder and received her BS in Mathematics with Honors from St. Lawrence University. Policy and Cultural Anthropology from Duke University. and an MS from Columbia Journalism School as a Knight-Bagehot Fellow, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in political science. 8
Adam Wolfensohn Co-Managing Partner & Board of Directors Encourage Capital Lindsey White Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships CERES Selection Committee (continued) Lindsey is the Senior Manager for Strategic Partnerships at Ceres, a leading Boston-headquartered NGO that mobilizes investor and business leadership to build a thriving, sustainable global economy. In this role, Lindsey created and directs Ceres' Family Offices and Family Foundations Initiative, providing guidance and advocacy for families and foundations on incorporating climate risks and opportunities into investment policies and practices. She also develops and leads program- related corporate and corporate foundation partnerships for Ceres, as well as alliances with partner NGOs toward shared sustainabilitygoals. She graduated with honors from Princeton University with a B.A. in history and also earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management, where her studies focused on the intersection of business and the environment and on impact investing. During graduate school, Lindsey interned for global private equity firm the Riverside Company, developing an ESG screen for the firm’s due diligence process and leading sustainability- focused communications projects. Lindsey co- chairs the Boston chapter of WISE (Women Investing for a Sustainable Economy). Relations. Adam earned a B.A. from Princeton University and an M.E.M. from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Adam Wolfensohn is a Co-Managing Partner and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Encourage Capital. Before the merger, Adam was Managing Director at Wolfensohn Fund Management and also managed the Wolfensohn family office cleantech and environmental markets strategies. From 2003 to 2006, he produced the climate change documentary, “Everything’s Cool,” that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007. From 2002 to 2003, he worked with Conservation International to help various rock groups and music festivals offset their carbon emissions through avoided deforestation projects. Prior to 2002, Adam composed music for numerous films, television commercials and theater productions, and he was founder and CEO of “Red Ramona,” an award winning music and sound design studio in New York City. He is a Trustee of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Yad Hanadiv, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, the Harmony Institute and Bang on a Can. He is a member of the investment committee of Rockefeller Brothers Fund and is a member of the Council on Foreign 9
1 CDP Investor Initiatives Climate change, water, pollution and deforestation present risks and opportunities. To learn more, contact Chris Fowle, VP of Investor Initiatives +1 212 646 517 1459 chris.fowle@cdp.net Institutional investors are acting to reduce long-term risks from environmental externalities. Backed by more than 822 institutional investors representing US$95 trillion in assets, CDP gives investors access to a global source of year-on-year information to support long-term objective analysis. This includes evidence and insight into companies’ greenhouse gas emissions, water usage and strategies for managing climate change, water and deforestation risks. For HSBC, climate change is a cornerstone of our ongoing business strategy… The reporting framework that CDP has pioneered over the past decade has helped us both as a respondent and a signatory. Douglas Flint, Group Chairman, HSBC Holdings plc 10
Category Energy Markets SmarterMoney Review Special Edition: Top 10 Smartest Reports on the Intersection of Climate Change and Finance 11
MAY 2015 SEE DISCLOSURE APPENDIX OF THIS REPORT FOR IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES AND ANALYST CERTIFICATIONS ASIA STRATEGY: SHOULDN'T WE ALL BE DEAD BY NOW? A supply side, climate change investment analysis Falling energy intensity in emerging markets, falling energy demand in developed markets, and renewables will mean CO2 emissions will start falling by the end of the decade, in our view. Avoiding perilous CO2 levels will cease to be about government regulation and instead reflect economics. Renewables are now cheaper than some fossil fuels and will get cheaper still. Fossil fuel reserves are now or will shortly be depreciating assets and, over the long term, risk being stranded. The only rational strategy is therefore: dig. Low and falling energy and commodity prices are now permanent. A secondary effect of all this is the survival of the species. 12
BERNSTEIN ASIA STRATEGY: SHOULDN'T WE ALL BE DEAD BY NOW? PORTFOLIO MANAGER'S SUMMARY I have been researching, writing about or talking about various aspects of Asian energy demand, Chinese coal supply, the declining cost of solar and the proliferation of renewables for most of the last seven years. Over that entire period, the question that rarely gets asked is: shouldn't we all be dead already? We thought we'd tackle it. Since climate change first came to the attention of the general public in the early 1990s, we have collectively and literally put the foot on the accelerator in terms of energy consumption in a way that no one predicted 25 years ago. SUVs, flat screens, shale gas and oil, China, India, and Fukushima all directly or indirectly added to carbon emissions in a way no one saw coming. In short, if things looked bad a quarter of a century ago when China and India were blips in terms of global energy demand, things must be apocalyptic now. This Blackbook addresses that simple existential question (how come we're not dead yet?) and seeks to extract investment conclusions from the answer. We are not oil and gas analysts. We are not auto analysts. We are not power or commodities analysts (anymore). Yet what we are outlining here has massive implications for all those sectors over the next 10 years, but — outside of coal — virtually no impact right now. Accordingly, a sector analyst's view that none of it matters — to earnings — and our own view that it is crucial — to multiples — are, in some ways, completely consistent. We have no interest in contradicting the views of our colleagues who are sector analysts. At the same time, one of the roles that we believe a strategist can strive to fulfill is highlighting potentially disruptive dynamics occurring at the periphery of large global sectors that, among other things, pose risks to historical valuation multiples. That is precisely what we believe is occurring with solar and energy storage right now. If solar and energy storage cost declines continue at anything approaching current rates, the long-term implications on the auto and power sectors (as currently configured) and on oil, gas and coal demand are catastrophic. The short-term implications are immaterial. If you assume that the probability of that continuing cost decline is zero, the impact remains immaterial forever. For any value greater than zero, we have the makings of a real investment controversy. Renewables are now cheaper than some fossil fuels and will get cheaper still. The transition away from fossil fuels is irreversible. The only rational strategy is therefore: dig. Michael W. Parker michael.parker@bernstein.com +852-2918-5747 Flora Chang flora.chang@bernstein.com +852-2918-5737 Derek Lam derek.lam@bernstein.com +852-2918-5734 May 26, 2015 13
BERNSTEIN ASIA STRATEGY: SHOULDN'T WE ALL BE DEAD BY NOW? SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS Current debate over climate change almost invariably focuses on one half of the equation: consumption or, more accurately, the planet's ability to absorb (consume) carbon dioxide. Estimates about the supply side of the equation — the amount of greenhouse gas 7 billion people produce in going about modern life, and how that might change or even fall over time — tends to get overlooked. The reason for this focus on consumption is pragmatic. Our collective behavior over the last quarter century suggests that, despite the fact that we know we should sharply reduce CO2 emissions, efforts to do so are likely to fail. Greenhouse gas emissions are largely a by-product of energy. Energy consumption rises as living standards go up. Therefore, absent the invention of the perpetual motion machine or the dismantling of the capitalist system, greenhouse gas emissions are generally viewed as rising monotonically as societies get richer. That failure to arrest the growth in CO2 emissions over the last 25 years is grounded in the fact that cutting emissions requires sacrificing an individual benefit now for a collective benefit later. We're just not wired that way. Accordingly, most discussion on climate change focuses either on the planet's capacity to absorb emissions or our ability to withstand the consequences of the planet's lack of capacity. Either the extinction of a wide swath of species — including potentially our own — is inevitable; or it’s a hoax. It's China's fault. Or it's the Rich World's fault. Or it's the fault of Big Oil. Or it (the scaremongering) is the fault of the liberal media and academics. 'Dems your choices. This Blackbook makes no contribution to that debate. We simply have no view. Our focus is entirely on the supply side of the equation. The reason we have no view of the typical climate change discussion is a simple one: any debate on climate change that continues to link economic growth, energy intensity and greenhouse gas emissions is outdated. Accordingly, most debate about climate change is either irrelevant or simply political theater. In short, climate change isn't going to happen. This is not because the science is wrong (although, as sell-side analysts, how would we know?). The reason climate change isn't going to happen is that the amount of CO2 the world produces is about to plunge. At the margin, thanks to solar, energy storage and other innovations, energy is now a technology. These technologies have a fraction of the greenhouse gas intensity (emissions per unit of energy) of fossil fuels. Over the course of the next two decades, these marginal sources of energy supply will become mainstream. Fossil fuel usage will fall, slowly at first, as it is doing in developed markets currently, and then quickly over time. The linkage between economic development and fossil fuel usage is collapsing and CO2 emissions from fossil fuels will start to decline (by the end of this decade) and, over coming decades, will asymptote to zero. A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE EXTINCTION OF THE SPECIES 14
HOW CERES IS HELPING TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL ECONOMY Ceres’ advocacy in corporate boardrooms and on Capitol Hill alike has had a profound and lasting impact over 25 years. Today, capital market leaders—from Wall Street icons to heads of state—are stepping up to help create a more sustainable global economy building on the groundwork laid by Ceres. We’ve made stronger corporate disclosure of environmental and sustainability risks a mainstream practice. Ceres launched the Global Reporting Initiative in 1997, which is now the de facto standard for corporate sustainability disclosure used by 6,000 companies globally. disclosure standard in 2010, requiring climate risk disclosure by all U.S. public companies. Introduced by Ceres in 2002, the term “climate risk” is and is seen as on Climate Risk has grown to more than 115 investors with $13 trillion in assets. Many INCR members are setting goals to boost their clean energy investments. They’re calling on the world’s largest oil and coal companies to shift capital shareholder resolutions, they’ve persuaded hundreds of commitments, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, power plants. Through the Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability, our blueprint for corporate sustainability, Ceres has helped Ford—integrate sustainability across their operations and increased use of renewable energy. Ceres mobilized dozens of company and investor leaders to voice strong support, and to issue their own pollution cutting commitments, to help achieve a historic international climate agreement in Paris in December 2015. In advance of the COP21 negotiations, Ceres coordinated supportive statements from major U.S. banks, food & beverage companies, global apparel Ceres organized 365 companies and investors to back the EPA Clean Power Plan (CPP), including writing letters to governors to urge its timely implementation. The CPP U.S. power plants, the single largest source of global warming pollution in the U.S. Ceres mobilized its investor and business networks to support aggressive mileage targets for cars and trucks sold in America—and average of 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025—and state Renewable Portfolio Standards and other clean energy policies to accelerate adoption cornerstones of the U.S. contribution to the international climate agreement reached in Paris and are the largest carbon-pollution-reduction measures the U.S. has taken to date. Ceres is mobilizing investors and companies, including major utilities, to continue supporting, and opposing efforts to undo, both state level clean energy policies and the EPA’s Clean Power Plan (CPP). We’re advocating for widespread adoption of sustainability reporting requirements by stock exchanges globally. Following COP21, Ceres and INCR are working to scale investor and corporate clean energy commitments from billions of dollars a year collectively to trillions of dollars a year collectively, starting with the Investor Summit on Climate Risk at the UN in January 2016. We’re securing stronger climate and energy policies We’re transforming business and investment practices www.ceres.org 99 Chauncy Street · 6th Floor · Boston MA 02111 · Tel 617.247.0700 · Fax 617.267.5400 · Twitter:@ceresnews · www.facebook.com/ceres.org Ceres’ unique strategies over more than 25 years are making a big difference in moving us towards our vision of a sustainable global economy. Now we need bigger, bolder action—such as universal company and investor adoption of sustainable practices, and stepped up global action to achieve carbon limits and the Clean Trillion— to turn our vision into reality. 15
Category Carbon Exposure SmarterMoney Review Special Edition: Top 10 Smartest Reports on the Intersection of Climate Change and Finance 16
CARBONASSET RISK: FROM RHETORICTOACTION Initiative arbon Tracker 17
CARBON ASSET RISK: FROM RHETORIC TO ACTION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Energy Transition is underway - more haste is needed! In the past few years, carbon asset risk (CAR) has gone from a fringe topic discussed primarily by NGOs to a serious consideration of some of the largest companies in the world. Recent market action, to pushing CAR into the public attention.1 This report discusses some of the most important recent management. The report follows the basic structure of the recently released UNEP FI/WRI CAR Framework, a multi-stakeholder and multiyear process to develop a common terminology and language carbon-intensive companies are exposed to (“operator carbon risk”) from the risk that is passed on to lenders and investors with a stake in these companies (“carbon asset risk”). Exposure and risk evaluation have to be done at the asset level by companies (operators of those assets) and at the had over 200 participants in the webinar launch of its Framework. This report now looks at the evidence for action by operators (disclosure) and investors (divestment market volatility, a primary risk factor in the CAR framework, may be contributing to such action. It focuses on evidence of action in four spheres: market action, corporate disclosure and engagement, and direct investor action (divestment and portfolio exposure and stress testing). We conclude that these developments are beginning to show progress in terms of action in an energy transition that now seems well underway. There is still a long way to go. • Market Action: the past year has essentially applied a “stress test” through energy commodity prices of a magnitude no one could have foreseen a year ago – spot oil prices around $40bbl and seaborne coal prices of $50t. While these are only spot and not the expectations for the next 20 years they show the dynamics at work in CAR evaluation. The key issue is what drove these price declines. Short-term cyclical forces and geopolitics are two obvious drivers. However, we also point to the following key themes that are part of the long- term CAR thesis in terms of: - Regulatory and technology forces in coal markets: a number of increasing demand.2 Combined with technology changes in gas and renewable energy markets, these trends have led to a fall in US coal demand (impacting share markets) and signs of a peaking in Chinese coal demand.3 1 Indeed, one recent survey quoted the corporate secretary of an energy company as opining that the engagement process “had ‘transformed the corporate secretary’s 18
WWW.CERES.ORG - Acknowledgement of carbon constraints and a rush of cheap supply in oil markets: the Saudi Oil Minister has acknowledged that by 2050 the need for fossil supply from low cost producers to markets, crashing the oil price.4 - In Europe and the U.S. utilities have been highly disrupted. Analysts have been concerned with the “utility death spiral” for companies in both regulated and restructured markets because the companies generally have not anticipated or adapted their business models to several factors: a combination of policies that support energy markets. Investors should be concerned that companies failed to predict or - At least $200bn in capital expenditures, primarily oil & gas projects, has been deferred or cancelled over the past year. Most recently, Shell announced that its $7-9 billion in capital expenditures chasing Arctic oil was unsuccessful, highlighting the danger of wasted capital for projects with high break-evens and long time frames for development.5 - Major Oil companies including BP, Shell, BG, Eni, Statoil, and Total have called for a global carbon price. - Market Analysts Views Are Evolving: The number of comments and papers focusing on CAR related issues has rapidly increased in the last year. We catalogue these papers by sell side, buy side, and ratings agencies. • Engaging with Operator/Corporate Risk Management: much of the focus by investors and NGOs has been on how the operators of carbon assets are managing risk. Engagement is generally obvious in the fossil fuel and utilities sector – but a deeper consideration of how the operator stress tests the various possibilities in an Energy transition (e.g. a 2°C policy outcome). - Proxy voting has been a key area for investors to press for more information from operators.6 Our data shows that a majority of investors supported proxy access resolutions at 23 out of 33 fossil fuel companies despite company opposition.7 There is ample evidence to support that under investor pressure, operators are addressing CAR in formal disclosure and informal have begun to consider the potential of a 2D scenario internally but that 19
CARBON ASSET RISK: FROM RHETORIC TO ACTION only a handful such as Conoco, Statoil, and BHP Billiton have publicly details, especially on capital expenditures.8 There is a general tendency to dismiss strong policy action and expect an extended energy transition beyond a 2D climate pathway. - It is notable that the Governor of the Bank Of England has also pointed to climate and carbon risks and the need for disclosure to assess the potential .9 lacks completeness in a risk management framework. - Engagement can also take the form of direct dialogue with operators and business planning and models. This is frequently private in nature. - One regulatory initiative of particular note is article 173 of the French Energy Transition law, which requires both companies and investors to disclose on CAR issues. • Direct Investor Portfolio action: investors can also manage CAR directly at their own portfolio level, integrating some of the results of engagement. Most actions are mandate- dependent. That is, asset owners and asset managers have to follow the set out mandates ranging from ethical to passive to active. - Divestment is the most extreme form of portfolio action and can have . The divestment by the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund of coal companies deriving above 30% of revenue potentially leaves 122 companies to be sold. There are nearly 400 investing institutions claiming some degree of disinvestment, led by foundations and NGOs, faith-based investors, - This has produced vocal responses from the fossil fuel industry. While there is an economic case that disinvestment does not ultimately starve companies of capital, Peabody has pointed to the possibility of adverse business impacts in its disclosures. - Investors can use quantitative methods for testing exposure (carbon footprinting and stress testing portfolios for substantial carbon constraints) and evidence suggests this currently rare practice is growing. A small percentage of the large asset owner industry currently do this—around 60 Pledge, for instance—and there is substantial disagreement on whether current market 20
WWW.CERES.ORG - services in this area, mostly with respect to screening using carbon footprinting approaches. A growing number of tools are going beyond cross- sectional analysis to include explicit scenario-based stress testing. However, currently “bottom-up” security-level tools are likely too complex for most investors to use directly, and “top-down” portfolio tools lack the security-level detail needed for stock- picking. - At an integrated Portfolio level Mercer have launched a top down model . Mercer has seen more than 3000 downloads of their document setting out the high level results the overall portfolio level when the trends are addressed proactively. By the Numbers 2014-15 Proxy Access • Shareholder Control: Proxy access in U.S. for right to nominate directors focused on climate. 23 of 33 resolutions at fossil fuel companies and utilities gain majority vote. Proxies Votes US Proxies Votes Europe Divestment • 397 Institutions divested in some form Financial research ratings agencies). Company Action • 3 fossil fuel majors support 2D scenario analysis (ConocoPhillips, Statoil, and BHP Billiton). • 6 oil majors call for global carbon pricing (Eni, Statoil, Shell, BP, Total, BG Group). • 2 oil majors leave ALEC (BP, Shell) • 4 oil majors defer Arctic drilling (Chevron, BP, Statoil, Shell) • 2 oil majors invest in renewable energy (Total and Statoil) • 8 oil majors announce plan to engage in climate policy. 21
CDP Climate Change Report 2015: The mainstreaming of low-carbon on Wall Street US edition based on the S&P 500 Index Written on behalf 822 of investors with US$95 trillion in assets CDP Report | November 2015 22
Executive summary The giants of Wall Street are becoming catalysts for climate action. New stock indexes, funds, bond ratings and investing tools are revealing and removing emissions risk from mainstream financial products, enabling investors to buy into low-carbon opportunities without lowering returns. Pension funds, endowments, and other asset owners are asking their advisors to help channel their capital to mitigate rather than contribute to climate change. The new actions put companies on notice that their credit ratings and continued inclusion in mainstream portfolios of pension, insurance and mutual funds will soon depend on outperforming their peers in environmental as well as financial terms. CDP led this shift, harnessing the power of investors now representing one-third of the world’s assets under management. In 2000, when CDP first asked investors to sign its disclosure request to companies, most fund directors were indifferent to climate change issues. Since then, CDP has won the support of financial giants including Bank of America Merrill Lynch, BlackRock, BNY Mellon, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, J.P. Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Nomura, Santander, UBS, and Wells Fargo. Increasing scrutiny by investors regarding environmental performance is reflected in company responses to CDP. In this report, we note dramatic shifts in corporate behavior among S&P 500 companies over the past five years: ^^ Board level responsibility for climate change has jumped from 67% to 95% from 2010 and 2015 ^^ Incentives for staff that help companies meet energy efficiency or carbon pollution reduction targets has risen from 49% to 83% between 2010 and 2015 ^^ Companies actively working to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions have increased from 52% to 96%. CDP’s platform of data, scores and rankings feeds into the new tools, products and research that have been helping low-carbon investing to go mainstream. These financial products are based on sophisticated analytical tools that calculate the carbon footprint of a company, an index or a mutual fund, and include estimates for non-disclosing companies. Research showing that the best companies on climate are often the most profitable overall is challenging the long-held view that investing according to environmental principles lowers returns. The first generation of low-carbon products excluded fossil fuel companies and carbon-intensive energy companies such as utilities, but increased the risk of veering off of their benchmark index, or failing to capture big swings in energy prices. A second generation of indexes went on to include more shares of the most energy efficient companies and reduce their holdings of the least efficient, and manage to match the full returns and risk of a benchmark index. Now, Wall Street has opened a new chapter in climate- based investing, turning the tools designed to create green products toward mainstream stock indexes, corporate bond ratings, and ordinary mutual funds. The headlines from recent months, reproduced in this report, show that America’s largest asset managers, index providers and ratings agencies are moving quickly to build out their environmental, social and governance (ESG) offerings. Low-carbon products already were an important business segment at the start of 2014, with nearly $3tn of assets held in 672 environmental investment vehicles, according to the Sustainable Investment Forum of the US. 23
Asset managers heralded the US Labor Department, which issued new guidance for pension plans and retirement funds allowing their trustees to choose among plans based on ESG factors. This move opens the door for U.S. pension funds to follow their European counterparts, who have championed sustainable investing for many years. The mainstreaming of sustainable investing parallels dramatic changes in US corporate culture. Will investors now lead the change we need to meet scientific targets to reduce carbon pollution? This report crystalizes the movement among blue-chip investors to address climate risks and opportunities, and includes interviews with some of Wall Street’s largest firms. It also includes CDP’s annual list of S&P 500 leaders on both transparency and climate performance, as well as the list of companies failing to provide disclosures to their investors. “Over the last two years, ESG has become more central to our clients, and they would like our help in finding a way do it that is robust and rigorous from an investment perspective. Climate change is clearly on people’s minds.” said Hugh Lawson, head of ESG at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. T Rowe Price stated in its disclosure to CDP that: “With regard to climate change, we have observed that a growing number of our clients have adopted investment objectives that expand beyond traditional expectations of relative financial performance... For example, some clients define their investment objectives in terms of relative carbon efficiency of the portfolio. In order to meet this growing need within our client population, we have made significant investments in internal expertise, external resources, training, and technology.” CDP has asked companies to clearly describe the risks and opportunities climate change presents to their business for 15 years. The resulting disclosures to investors look set to become more relevant than ever and have helped enable the creation of a variety of financial products including State Street’s LOWC: the first low-carbon exchange-traded fund (ETF) and BlackRock’s iShares CRBN exchange-traded funds. Standard & Poor’s and MSCI are also fuelling the low-carbon shift on Wall Street as they work to design new low-carbon indexes to provide sophisticated and nuanced ways to screen out and screen in companies based on environmental performance. “You can’t address something you can’t quantify, therefore carbon data are paramount,” said Mamadou- Abou Sarr, Northern Trust’s managing director of ESG investing. “CDP has been key for Wall Street getting data and integrating it into their processes, and the role of disclosure is crucial, whether it’s for awareness or risk assessment or for investment decisions.” Elizabeth McGeveran, director of Impact Investing at McKnight, noted that the “microactions” of hundreds of investors signing CDP’s disclosure request led to the data that forms the basis of Mellon’s carbon efficient strategy. “The micro-actions of a number of investors enabled Mellon Capital to take a “macro-action,” she said. CDP’s executive chairman and co-founder Paul Dickinson says: “The influence of the corporation is mighty. The momentum of business action on climate change suggests we have reached a tipping point, where companies are poised to achieve their full potential. They need ambitious policy at both a national and international level that will support them in this regard and will catalyze participation from industry at scale.” Meg Whitman, President and CEO at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, formerly Hewlett-Packard, which has achieved top marks for both performance and transparency for the second year in a row, says: “We must take swift and bold action to address the root causes of climate change. This means disrupting the status quo—changing the way we do business, holding ourselves and others accountable, and creating innovative solutions that drive a low-carbon economy.” CDP’s president for North America, Lance Pierce says: “The businesses that provide the goods and services Americans use every day know that linking action on climate change to company performance is the new normal. Companies’ investors and customers are demanding products and performance with less carbon, and by incentivizing staff to meet these needs, corporate America is starting to embed this issue into how the company makes decisions”. 24
SOLUTIONS Encourage Capital is a new kind of investment firm that seeks to change the way investment capital is used to solve critical environmental and social problems. We are building a community of investors, foundations, market-leading companies and non-profits to deploy private capital into systemic solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. We believe we can generate both compelling investment returns and social and environmental impacts for our investors. WE INVEST IN Join us: www.encouragecapital.com Ph: 212-974-0111 25
Category Climate Exposure SmarterMoney Review Special Edition: Top 10 Smartest Reports on the Intersection of Climate Change and Finance 26
Action on Climate: A Practical Guide for Fiduciaries Capital Stewardship Program “I think it’s the existential threat of our day. Once you see it as having catastrophic impact, any economic argument follows that, because you’re not going to have an economy.” — Robert E. Rubin, Former Treasury Secretary “Climate change is a ‘threat multiplier’…because it has the potential to exacerbate many of the challenges we already confront today – from infectious disease to armed insurgencies – and to produce new challenges in the future. “ — Chuck Hagel, Former Defense Secretary 27
Action on Climate: A Practical Guide for Fiduciaries • 6 Introduction and context Action on Climate: A Practical Guide for Fiduciaries • 6 Over the last three decades, people and governments around the world have recognized climate change as an issue of increasing urgency. Increases in large storms, droughts and other problems have already been linked to climate change. Consensus has emerged that substantially stronger action is required to slow human-induced climate change and mitigate its effects. To date, however, and despite the urgency, actions taken to mitigate climate change and prepare for its consequences have been limited. In recent years, investors have been both the objects of climate advocacy and important stakeholders wrestling with how climate change should affect their investment strategies. Advocates insist that investors need to account for their contributions to climate change, and to prepare for a necessary shift to a low-carbon economy, which will transform investment portfolios. Founded by student organizers at Swarthmore College in 2011, the fossil fuel divestment campaign began by targeting university endowments and has now gained national momentum. This advocacy has extended to foundation endowments, retail investors and pension funds.1 Investors of all kinds are facing substantial demands from stakeholders to address investments in the largest coal, oil and gas companies. Some high-profile investors have responded to these calls: Stanford University has divested its endowment from direct holdings in coal companies, Yale University has engaged its money managers on climate risk and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund announced its plan to divest from all fossil fuels in September 2014.2 Advocacy has pushed an even larger set of investors to address climate change and its potential consequences more actively, even if they do not choose divestment as a solution. Institutional investors – perhaps because of their need and capacity to manage portfolios over longer time horizons for multiple generations of beneficiaries – have taken the lead in exploring how to recognize the possible effects of climate change across entire investment portfolios. They are looking for ways to protect portfolios from risks associated with climate change, from the policy risks associated with carbon pricing to the physical risks associated with changing weather patterns and intensity. And they are exploring new investment opportunities likely to emerge from a transition to a sustainable and low-carbon economy. But investors can also struggle to integrate a long-term macro-trend, like the systemic effects of climate change, into their existing investment strategies. Day-to-day challenges of portfolio management can 28
Ac ti on on C limate : A Prac t i ca l G u i d e f o r F i duc i a ri e s make it hard to take on long-term issues, no matter how important these may be. Due to funding concerns and managing current volatility in the capital markets, defined benefit pension plans can find climate risk a daunting challenge. This is especially true for those under-resourced in climate and other ESG areas. Large investors like Stanford University (with a $21.5 billion endowment and dozens of employees dedicated to endowment management) have the advantage of substantial resources at their disposal to examine the effects of climate change on their investments. Unlike these investors, small- and medium- sized endowments, pension funds, and foundations do not have large internal staff teams. These institutional investors may have outsourced their investment management entirely, or have one or two internal team members. They face particular challenges implementing climate change strategies while respecting fiduciary responsibility and investment strategy, but the long-term issues that arise from climate change will affect them too, and their beneficiaries and stakeholders are raising the issue on campus lawns and at quarterly meetings. If you are one of these investors, this toolkit is for you – an investor concerned about the future of your fund and the future of the world, or a pension plan fiduciary whose overriding focus is the financial interests of your beneficiaries and the long-term interest of your plan. This toolkit will help you take climate change into consideration with your fund while respecting concerns about fiduciary duty and investment performance. How to use this toolkit This toolkit is intended to help investors examine climate change from different angles. It explores various interconnected approaches: integrating climate change into your investments, reducing your portfolio’s carbon intensity, investing in climate solutions, divestment, engaging with corporations, and engaging with policymakers. Each tactic has its advantages and disadvantages. Not all of them will be right for every investor. The aim here is not to advocate a particular approach; it is to support you in making decisions that make sense for your fund and institution. At the core of this toolkit are: • A decision-making process you can customize for your fund, including how to work with consultants, managers, and legal counsel • An implementation guide for your strategy To support you in these processes, we provide information on: • The science and impacts of climate change • The financial implications of climate change • Fiduciary duty and climate change 29
Ac ti on on C limate : A Prac t i ca l G u i d e f o r F i duc i a ri e s • The impacts of climate change on workers and communities • Available actions and examples of what peer investors are doing For each of these you can find a high-level summary in the main part of the toolkit, with more detail in appendices. A governance approach The overall path we suggest an investor follow is set out in the chart below. We take a governance approach. This outlines steps to follow and questions to ask, while taking account of the resources available to the investor – in terms of time, knowledge, and people. Throughout the process, ensuring that you act in accordance with fiduciary duty remains crucial. Governance: time, knowledge, people Familiarize yourself with the science and the financial implications of climate change Find out what actions are possible and what peers are doing Guided process to select actions that are right for your fund Guided process to implement your strategy Governance: processes Work with your consultant and managers Fiduciary duty – work with your legal counsel 30
IMPACT CAPITALISM TRAIN STOP TOURwww.impactcapitalismtour.com CONSCIOUS COMPANY MAGAZINE Supporters Presented by SOUTH EAST PACIFIC NORTHWEST Seattle-Portland-Vancouver Nov 3-5, 2015 CALIFORNIA San Diego-Palo Alto Feb 10-11, 2016 TEXAS Dallas-Houston-Austin Atlanta-Charlotte- Raleigh/Durham EAST COAST Philadelphia-D.C.- Charlottesville MAKING IMPACT INVESTING LOCAL 31
An  opportunity  for  invited institutional  investors,  family  offices,   investment  advisors,  foundations  to  meet  impact  and  sustainable  funds   The event profiles five investment funds with differentiated criteria to Family Offices, Foundations, Institutional Investors and Advisers. Funds are selected based on multiple criteria including: management team, track record, and investment strategy. This event showcases innovative fund managers in the diverse sectors. The event is structured to include group presentations and one-on-one meetings to maximize attendees ability to interact with the fund managers. There is no fee for attendees. “I am impressed with the diversity of the investment strategies representing everything from impact investing to sustainability all in a half day. Very efficient and informative to see what is happening across the spectrum of sustainability.” - Family Office ” I haven’t seen a better set of fund managers present in one venue. Well worth the time!” - Family Office Register at www.bigpathcapital.com/events/five-fund-forum “It’s rare to see so many high quality investment opportunities during a single event.” - Investment Advisor About The primary purpose of this event is to introduce persons who are also qualified accredited investors to U.S. impact and sustainable funds. There will be no solicitation to purchase securities or offer to purchase securities at this event. If an attendee decides to invest in a fund subsequent to the event, the attendee does so at its own risk. Attendees acknowledge that they, in conjunction with their lawyers, accountants, and advisers, must perform their own due diligence with respect to any decision to subsequently invest in any presenter and are not relying on any representations by Big Path Capital, LLC or Intellivest Securities, Inc. as to the suitability of any particular investment or that any due diligence has been performed on presenters. Presenters have paid a fee to Big Path Capital, LLC to appear at this event. Minneapolis March 16 New York March 15 San Francisco March 18 Presented by New York, Minneapolis, Seattle, San Francisco March 15-18, 2016 XVIII Seattle March 17 32
FROM BOOM TO BUST? CLIMATE RISK IN THE GOLDEN STATE April 2015 33
California is the most populous state in the United States and the world’s eighth—soon to be seventh— largest economy. It’s also a microcosm of the nation’s diverse economy and geography. With a wealth of nat- ural resources, California leads the U.S. in agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism and is a major international exporter. From high-tech to Hollywood, California is a hub of innovation that supports cutting edge industries and leading multinational companies. For decades, the state has led the way on new economic growth mod- els, new technologies, and creative solutions to policy challenges. Today, California faces a new set of challenges and opportunities in the form of climate change. The state’s vast and varied topography—from the Redwood Coast to the fertile Central Valley, and from the Mojave Desert to the Sierra Nevadas—provides a glimpse into the sig- nificant and varied risks the state faces if we stay on our current climate course. Along the coast, rising sea-levels will likely put billions of dollars of property and infrastructure at risk. Further inland, increasingly warm and dry conditions threaten the productivity of one of the richest agricultural regions in the world. Eastern California, a haven for natural recreation and tourism, will be permanently marked by warming temperatures and shifting precipitation pat- terns. And across the state, extreme heat will fuel large and costly wildfires, endanger water resources, drive up energy costs, exacerbate air pollution, and threaten human health. The mission of the Risky Business Project is to quantify the economic risks to the United States from unmiti- gated climate change. Our inaugural report, Risky Busi- ness: The Economic Risks of Climate Change in the United States, highlighted these risks across every region of the country, with a focus on three sectors: agriculture, energy demand, and coastal infrastructure. We also looked at overarching issues such as changes in labor productivity and heat-related mortality. This follow-up report focuses on California and explores some of the likely economic consequences to the state of continuing on our current greenhouse gas emissions pathway, 1 with no significant new national policy or global action to mitigate climate change. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 34
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY »» By mid-century, the San Joaquin Valley, which accounts for more than half of the state’s agricultural output, will likely experience 63 to 85 days over 95°F each year compared to an average of 44 such days per year over the past 30 years. By the end of the century, the number of extremely hot days will likely increase to three to four full months per year. »» Meanwhile, a likely 60% to 90% decline in the annual average number of days below freezing statewide is expected to reduce snowpack, affecting state water supplies along with winter tourism and recreation. • Changes in the timing, amount, and type of precip- itation in California, which could lead to increased drought and flooding and put the reliability of the state’s water supply at risk »» Warming temperatures will cause California to see a shift in precipitation from snow to rain, as well as a change in the timing of snowmelt. »» Most regions in California will likely see a decrease in fall and spring precipitation. The majority of pre- cipitation will continue to fall during the winter, but increasingly more as rain than snow. »» These changes will impact California’s snowpack—a major water reservoir for the state—and affect the freshwater supply for multiple industries and communities. »» California should also expect to see more heavy storms, which could increase the number and sever- ity of floods in parts of the state, and longer dry spells between storms. The risk of drought could increase as well, especially given more extreme temperatures. Our research combines state-of-the-art climate science projections through the year 2100 (and beyond in some cases) with empirically-derived estimates of the impact of projected changes in temperature and precipitation on the California economy. We analyze not only those outcomes most likely to occur, but also lower-proba- bility, higher-cost climate impacts. These “tail risks” are most often expressed here as the 1-in-20 chance events. Our findings show that if we stay on our current global emissions pathway, California will likely face multiple and significant economic risks from climate change. However, if policymakers and business leaders act now to reduce emissions and adapt to a changing climate, we can significantly reduce these risks. Given California’s diverse geography and economy, the risks posed by climate change vary significantly by region. These risks include: • A dramatic increase in extreme heat across the state, especially in the San Joaquin Valley and Inland South regions »» By the end of this century, summers in California will likely be hotter than summers in Texas and Louisiana today, and the average number of extremely hot days each year—with temperatures above 95°F—will likely double or even triple. 35
»» Changes in precipitation, combined with rising temperatures, could also have serious consequences for California’s water quality. • Widespread losses of coastal property and infrastruc- ture due to sea-level rise along the California coast »» If we continue on our current path, between $8 bil- lion and $10 billion of existing property in California will likely be underwater by 2050, with an additional $6 billion to $10 billion at risk during high tide. »» By 2100, $19 billion in coastal property will likely be below sea-level, with a 1-in-100 chance of more than $26 billion at risk. »» In San Francisco, mean sea-level will likely rise 0.7 to 1.1 feet by 2050 and 1.8 to 3.3 feet by 2100. Meanwhile, San Diego will likely see sea-levels rise 0.8 to 1.2 feet by 2050 and 1.9 to 3.4 feet by 2100. »» Rising tides could also damage a wide range of infrastructure, including water supply and delivery, energy, and transportation systems. • Shifting agricultural patterns and crop yields, with distinct threats to California’s varied crop mix of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other highly valuable commodities »» In 2012, California produced one-fifth of the nation’s supply of dairy, nearly two-thirds of its fruits and nuts, and over one-third of its vegetables. »» California’s major crops, livestock, and dairy opera- tions face distinct threats from climate-driven tem- perature variation across the state, which could have major repercussions on local and global markets. »» Without significant adaptation by farmers, several regions will likely see yield losses for heat-sensitive commodity crops like cotton and corn, with poten- tially high economic costs. For example, the Inland South region will likely take an economic hit of up to $38 million per year due to cotton yield declines by the end of the century. »» Climate-driven changes in water availability, qual- ity, and timing could have a significant impact on California’s agricultural economy, which is heavily dependent on irrigation. »» Changing climate conditions are expected to increase the spread of invasive pests and plant species and threaten livestock productivity. • Increasing electricity demand combined with reduced system capacity, leading to higher energy costs »» Rising temperatures will likely increase electricity use for residential and commercial cooling, driving up demand across the state. »» Increasing heat, drought, and wildfires will stress California’s electricity infrastructure, decreasing the efficiency of the state’s centralized natural gas and nuclear power plants, jeopardizing hydropower generation, and disrupting transmission. »» Building new capacity to meet additional electricity demand will result in significant increases in energy costs in some parts of the state. The Inland South region will be the hardest hit, with total energy costs likely to increase by up to 8.4% in the short term and as much as 35% by end of century. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 36
• Higher heat-related mortality, declining labor productivity, and worsened air quality »» California will likely see up to 7,700 additional heat-related deaths per year by late century—more than twice the average number of traffic deaths annually in the state today. »» With 30% of California workers in “high risk” industries that are vulnerable to high temperatures, labor produc- tivity is likely to decline across the state, most notably in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley regions. »» Higher temperatures and more frequent wildfires will exacerbate ozone and particulate pollution in areas that already suffer from poor air quality, worsening respiratory health problems and increas- ing hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and absences from work or school. California is already taking aggressive action to address climate change. By fully understanding the climate risks the state faces if we stay on our current emissions path, California businesses and policymakers have the oppor- tunity to become models of climate risk mitigation and resilience for the nation and the world. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Los Angeles Aqueduct, Lone Pine, California 37
M E R C E R 2 0 1 5 S U P P O R T E D B Y : In partnership with: H E A LT H W E A LT H C A R E E R I N V E S T I N G I N A T I M E O F C L I M AT E C H A N G E 38
I N V E S T I N G I N A T I M E O F C L I M AT E C H A N G E K E Y M O T I VAT I O N F O R I N V E S T O R A C T I O N This report’s findings generate four key motivations for investor action on climate risk, spanning short and long-term concerns. These motivations are: 1. Medium-term risk management (years). 2. Medium and long-term opportunities (years). 3. Short-term risk (months). 4. Long-term economic cost of inaction and concerns of beneficial owners (decades). M E D I U M - T E R M R I S K M A N A G E M E N T ( Y E A R S ) Long-term investors generally take a multi-year perspective when setting asset strategy. This is a vital component of investment oversight. Capturing climate change in risk assessments and on the “risk register” will be important for understanding and managing the asset class and industry-sector risks and impacts on return identified in this study. Yet our research suggests that few mainstream investors incorporate a detailed view on the policies that could underpin this change in investment analysis. Investors need to consider their equity asset class and 21 3 4 5 6 7 “Climate change forces investors in the 21st Century to reconsider our understanding of economic and investment risk. This study provides the New York Common Retirement Fund with valuable insights that will inform our efforts to manage climate risk and build out our portfolio in ways that protect and enhance investment returns.” —New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund industry-sector risks by asking questions such as: • Do sector weights across the portfolio reflect anticipated structural change? And is there enough focus on this in our portfolio-construction process? • Can investment managers articulate a clear perspective on the relevance (or otherwise) of climate risks to an investment mandate? • Is engagement employed as a risk management tool, particularly for passive mandates? Real assets, which include real estate, infrastructure, timber, and agriculture investments, are identified in the research as increasingly exposed to the risk of physical damage caused by climate change. These assets are typically held for over 10 years, yet few large investors with significant real-asset exposure are assessing or managing these risks at the portfolio level. A key question is: • Can we undertake a total-portfolio risk assessment (including all real asset holdings) to identify exposure to potential physical damage risk under different climate scenarios? 39
M E R C E R 2 0 1 5 M E D I U M A N D LO N G - T E R M O P P O R T U N I T I E S ( Y E A R S ) Forecasting the future is inherently difficult — no one can predict which scenario will unfold, or how the industry weightings of stock-market indices will evolve. Under the climate scenarios explored in this study, there are potential “first mover” advantages in some asset classes and lower-carbon industry sectors, such as renewable energy, green building materials, and sustainable transport. To capture medium-term opportunities, investors need to ask: • Which asset classes are positioned to benefit from future opportunities? • What active and passive equity products exist to tilt towards these sources of growth? • How can attractive industry sectors be accessed through each asset class, and particularly in private markets? S H O R T - T E R M R I S K ( M O N T H S ) Although our study has not focused on anticipating significant short-term volatility driven by unanticipated climate risks, one scenario does anticipate swift policy action on climate in the near term. This is expected to be an increasing cost on carbon, designed to reduce emissions and limit temperature increases. This increasing cost on carbon could erode expected gains in some sectors and produce annual losses. In considering this or other scenarios which may unfold, investors need to ask: • What if climate change related policies are introduced at a level or within a timeframe unanticipated by the market, either globally or in regional blocks? Might this lead to a broad market correction, or could certain assets be left “stranded”? • Could fossil-fuel subsidies be removed? Would this put major investments at risk? • How quickly could the portfolio be repositioned if required, and what options exist today to hedge against future uncertainty? LO N G - T E R M C O S T O F I N A C T I O N A N D C O N C E R N S O F B E N E F I C I A R I E S ( D E C A D E S ) This study uses a 35-year timeframe to explore the potential impacts of climate risk, but the most significant physical impacts resulting from climate change will be felt after 2050. This is an example of a long- term downside risk that markets struggle to address. However, others with strategic focus are not ignoring this risk: US and UK reports suggest that climate change is likely to create strategic military risks as the physical impacts amplify fragile social and economic conditions (for example, by reducing access to vital resources such as water or food). There is strong evidence that, if we follow our current trajectory, there will be a high risk of irreversible and severe impacts across the globe. Looking to 2100 and beyond sharpens the focus on whether to mitigate now, or to adapt later at potentially significantly greater cost. Refer to Appendix 2 for more on the 2100 timeframe. Although adopting a long-term perspective is challenging in practice, it is not impossible. Investors need to ask: • As a long-term investor, how long is my time horizon? • Do we feel sufficiently knowledgeable about this topic? What are our investment beliefs? • Do we have the governance framework to focus on strategically important long- term issues? • What are the views of beneficiaries and clients? • As asset owners, should we be more visible in calling for strong climate action by policymakers? M A K E T O M O R R O W , T O D AY Investors face a number of barriers to action on climate change. It is a challenge to take a long-term view in the context of an increasingly short-term market environment; boards and investment committees face a range of competing priorities, and the average investor has little familiarity with climate-related risks. Yet the investor implications of climate risk warrant a change in behaviour. This study provides investors with evidence of the likely impact on their portfolios of a range of relevant climate change scenarios, along with practical suggestions for mitigating and managing their exposure. In doing so, it contributes to the rapidly evolving knowledge and tools that are available to the investment industry to understand and manage climate risk. It is now up to investors to evolve — taking a  prudent view of risk demands it. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 40
How the energy sector is missing potential demand destruction Initiative arbon Tracker October 2015 Lost In Transition: How The Energy Sector Is Missing Potential Demand Destruction. Demand destruction = climate security The majority of the world’s fossil fuel suppliers appear to be betting on demand for their product continuing to grow as per business as usual (BAU). The direction of travel we see from the worlds of policy and technology is for destruction of fossil fuel demand. This paper is designed to explore the downside for fossil fuel producers and understand why the reality of our future may differ from the scenarios published by the energy industry. This in turn provides optimism that the world can deliver a low emissions trajectory. It is clear that the world will need to deviate from BAU if we are to prevent dangerous levels of climate change. Will the future repeat the past? Scenarios are used to help people understand different futures and identify blind spots in their current assumptions about what might transpire. Many suffer from ‘straight-line’ syndrome, where historical trends or energy mixes are extrapolated into the future over long periods. This can lead to a built-in assumption that the future will repeat the past – something that does not match-up with either preventing climate change or adapting to it. Scenarios struggle to consider non- linear change The risk of ‘straight-line syndrome’ hints at the biggest remaining energy modelling challenge, which is to understand system transformations, i.e. dramatic changes in policy or technology which cause non-linear change in trends. This is much more challenging to model or predict, but it is these kind of events which will have the biggest impact on a sector. These scenarios often justify investment in additional fossil fuel supply Investments in future fossil fuel supply are predicated on an assumption of future demand that is often presented in or informed by corporate energy scenarios. However, while many energy companies have established scenario teams, the full range of outcomes they consider is not necessarily presented publicly or to the investor community. This could change amid increasing focus on fossil fuel company scenarios as investors engage more around carbon asset risk and future capital investment plans (See also our partners Ceres, IIGCC, LAPFF, CIG, ShareAction and Client Earth on Carbon Asset Risk and ‘Aiming for A’). The scenarios produced Executive Summary 41
www.carbontracker.org by the IEA and US EIA need to be placed under similar scrutiny given the amount they are referenced by the fossil fuel industry, which often results in the cherry-picking of scenarios and the views of these organisations echoing and reinforcing each other. Track record isn’t great Another reason for reviewing the scenarios and assumptions underpinning energy industry plans is that their track record of getting it right is not that strong. This is not to say that energy sector projections are easy - however with hindsight it is evident that organisations such as the IEA are consistently behind the curve in their projections of renewables costs and deployment, for example. Figure A shows how IEA forecasts since 2000 have been far off the mark in predicting today’s levels of solar generation, let alone looking further into the future. “The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates in its World Energy Outlook 2014, Current Policies Scenario, that worldwide primary energy demand will grow 50% between 2012 and 2040. Demand for coal during this time period is projected to rise 51%, and the growth in global electricity generation from coal is expected to be greater than the growth in oil, natural gas, nuclear and solar combined.”- Peabody Energy Annual Report 20141 Figure A: IEA solar PV capacity forecasts against actual Risk assessment This report only focuses on the downside demand potential for fossil fuels because it is our contention that current base case energy scenarios are at the bullish end of the range of potential fossil fuel demand outcomes. In terms of understanding risks, it is therefore necessary to focus on the extent to which these scenarios are potentially underestimating the pace and scale of the transformation of the energy sector. We would note we are only using the opposite ends of the ranges of projections from industry, analyst or government sources to test the potential for change. There are a range of even more aggressive scenarios from environmental organisations which would push the boundaries even further. Lost In Transition: How The Energy Sector Is Missing Potential Demand Destruction. 42
www.carbontracker.org Changing system dynamics At the highest level there have traditionally been three fundamental factors in energy demand: population, economic activity these three demand factors and what this could mean for fossil fuel demand. We follow this with a downside examination of the potential carbon intensity of energy supplied to meet this demand, i.e. the mix of fossil fuels and low-carbon technologies. From these components we calculate the extent to which global CO2 emissions could be lower if these alternative downside futures transpire rather than an average industry expectation. We do this using the Kaya Identity: The Kaya identity is an economic model that tries to bring the factors together in a simplistic way. While it may not be able to capture the full complexity or inter-connectedness, it provides a useful means of understanding the key energy drivers of CO2 emissions. As Figure B shows, the structure of this report works through elements that contribute to determining the Kaya Identity equation and stress-tests the impact on fossil fuel demand if each ratio disappoints on the downside. This ranges across the Assumption 1: Global population will increase to 9 billion by 2040 Assumption 2: Global GDP maintains recent growth rates to 2040 Assumption 3: Reductions in the energy intensity of GDP slow markedly Assumptions 4-9: Carbon intensity of energy remains high as fossil fuels maintain share Conclusion: Calculating downside CO2 emissions with the Kaya Identity Figure B: This report is structured around the Kaya Identity Population GDP per capita Energy Intensity Carbon Intensity Carbon Emissions Boston | London | Los Angeles | New York | San Diego | San Francisco | Stamford | Washington www.mintz.com Helping Energy Innovators Succeed Financing | Project Development | Government Relations | Patent Protection | Acquisitions Mintz Levin has been representing energy technology leaders and investors since the earliest days of the industry. Our passion is helping companies achieve their goals, and since 2006 we’ve helped hundreds of clients close more than $7 billion in transactions to help them on their way.We believe that impact investing is important to this industry. Contact Mintz Levin for cutting-edge advice and guidance. Tom Burton, Chair, Energy Technology Practice | 617.348.3097 | TRBurton@mintz.com | EnergyTechMatters.com | @TomBurtonIII Sahir Surmeli, Co-chair, Energy Technology Practice | 617.348.3013 | SSurmeli@mintz.com | EnergyTechMatters.com | @EnergyCleanTech 43
Risks and Opportunities From the Changing Climate Playbook for the Truly Long-Term Investor 2015 44
Executive Summary  Given the interconnected and systemic nature of climate risks, investors will find it difficult to predict and precisely manage every potential impact on portfolios. However, we have identified four approaches investors can take to better understand and manage these risks: (1) engagement through delegation to managers, asking them to consider incorporating climate risks; (2) engage- ment through advocating for more transparency and reporting on climate risk metrics, while overlaying a climate risk lens to the due diligence and moni- toring process; (3) proactive hedging via low-carbon index products, derivatives, or use of active managers that employ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics; and (4) policy-level exclusion of fossil fuel and other sectors. Not all these themes are appropriate for all investors, and some will pursue none or only a few of them. But considering the options will enable long-term inves- tors concerned about climate risks to craft their own strategy reflecting their views and objectives.  Beyond defense, investors should consider proactive, solution-oriented strategies to capitalize on investment opportunities linked to climate change. Our basic thesis is that the more challenging the problem, the greater the opportunity set for innovations, solutions, and, ultimately, attractive investment returns. We identify five current themes: renewable infrastruc- ture, clean transportation, smart energy, energy efficiency in buildings, and water and agricultural efficiency. Attractive  Considering climate factors is an economic risk management and opportunity capitalization issue core to prudent investing for the long term. As a possible systemic driver of more frequent and/or severe weather events over the coming decades, climate change—defined as the long-term evolution of global and regional weather patterns driven by the rising level of greenhouse gas emissions— has the potential to materially impact businesses, economic assets, and communities. Potential impacts include direct effects on real property and supply chains, economic consequences from policy and regulatory responses to climate change, and/or indirect effects on financial markets at a global scale through the heightening of broader uncertainty and risk aversion.  As part of incorporating climate risk into long-term investment decision- making, investors should consider whether and how to stay ahead of the climate risk curve to preserve value in their portfolios (“defense”), as well as whether and how to position themselves to capitalize on investment opportuni- ties arising from technological advances, business model innovations, and policy evolution (“offense”). For many, the first step is not necessarily making immediate portfolio changes, but rather asking key questions to establish guideposts today to arrive at better decisions tomorrow. 45
Executive Summary risk/return profiles exist in select areas within the broader “resource efficiency” arena. The themes discussed and the various approaches to access them are neither all-inclusive nor static, as new themes can emerge and existing themes can evolve over time. The objective for truly long-term investors is not only to identify and evaluate the available and accessible investment opportunities today, but also to uncover and capitalize on the opportunities that will present themselves in the future.  Both strong defense and offense are important to manage risks and capi- talize on opportunities associated with climate change. Long-term investors would benefit from properly integrating defense and offense into a cohesive investment strategy aligned with their own views and motivations.  We continue to seek and refine effective approaches to understand and manage risks amplified by climate change, and search for positive returns from capturing the value created by busi- nesses and assets that play a role in the world’s gradual transition to a lower- carbon and more resource-efficient economy. These opportunities are and will continue to be driven by a combina- tion of technological and business model innovations, policy and regulatory shifts, and, perhaps more fundamentally, the human entrepreneurial spirit that is drawn to creating real solutions to large problems. ■ 46
The costofinaction: Recognisingthevalueat riskfrom climate change 47
THE COST OF INACTION: R E C O G N I S I N G T H E V A L U E A T R I S K F R O M C L I M A T E C H A N G E © THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT LIMITED 2015 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The asset management industry—and thus the wider community of investors of all sizes— is facing the prospect of significant losses from the effects of climate change. Assets can be directly damaged by floods, droughts and severe storms, but portfolios can also be harmed indirectly, through weaker growth and lower asset returns. Climate change is a long-term, probably irreversible problem beset by substantial uncertainty. Crucially, however, climate change is a problem of extreme risk: this means that the average losses to be expected are not the only source of concern; on the contrary, the outliers, the particularly extreme scenarios, may matter most of all. To highlight the relevance of climate change to the asset management industry and beyond, this research estimates the value at risk (VaR)1 to 2100 as a result of climate change to the total global stock of manageable assets (the climate VaR). The world’s current stock of manageable assets is estimated to be US$143trn.² The resulting expected losses to these assets identified in our findings, in discounted, present value terms,³ are valued at US$4.2trn—roughly on a par with the total value of all the world’s listed oil and gas companies or Japan’s entire GDP. This is the average (mean) expected loss, but the value-at-risk calculation includes a wide range of probabilities, and the tail risks are far more serious. Warming of 5°C could result in US$7trn in losses – more than the total market capitalisation of the London Stock Exchange - while 6°C of warming could lead to a present value loss of US$13.8trn of manageable financial assets, roughly 10% of the global total. These values are based on the discount rate of a private investor, a reasonable baseline as the affected losses mentioned above will be on the privately held pool of global assets. However, as climate change is also a systemic problem, with issues of wider societal concern, it is often appropriate to apply a lower discount rate, consistent with public-sector actors that have longer time horizons than individuals. When the expected losses are considered from the point of view of a government, employing the same discount rates as the Stern Review,4 they rise dramatically. From the public-sector perspective, the expected value of a future with 6°C of warming represents present value losses worth US$43trn—30% of the entire stock of manageable assets. By way of scale, the current market capitalisation of all the world’s stockmarkets is around US$70trn.5 Written by _______________ 1 Value at risk measures the size of the loss a portfolio may experience, within a given time horizon, at a particular probability. 2 Our value for the stock of manageable assets is the total stock of assets held by non-bank financial institutions, as estimated by the Financial Stability Board. Bank assets are excluded as these are, largely, managed by banks themselves. 3 Present value is a common financial metric used to assess the current worth of a future stream of cash flows given a specified rate of return. Future cash flows are discounted at the discount rate, and the higher the discount rate, the lower the present value of the future cash flows. The cost of capital is commonly applied as a discount rate by both private investors and public sector bodies. 4 The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review. Available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_ review_Ûconomics_climate_change/stern_review_report.cfm 5 World Federation of Exchanges. 48
THE COST OF INACTION: R E C O G N I S I N G T H E V A L U E A T R I S K F R O M C L I M A T E C H A N G E © THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT LIMITED 2015 While the value of future losses from the private sector is substantial, this is dwarfed by the forecast harms when considered from a government point of view. The long time horizon, coupled with private-investor discount rates, can lead to a remarkable tolerance for systemic environmental risk. The value at risk assessed by this research should be considered the expected losses to global assets if emissions fail to be substantially reduced, but fortunately, mitigation can greatly reduce these risks. Lower greenhouse gas emissions decrease the probability of temperature increases and thus the expected harms. Provided that warming from climate change can be kept under 2°C, the average projected losses can be cut in half, while the extreme losses, identified as tail risks, can be reduced by more than three-quarters. Although the mean projected losses are significant, the results also show that institutional investors are particularly at risk of lower probability but higher impact losses. Direct impacts vary geographically; economic sectors and asset classes that are concerned with physical assets or natural resources are the most vulnerable to climate change, such as real estate, infrastructure, timber, agriculture and tourism. However, our analysis suggests that much of the impact on future assets will come through weaker growth and lower asset returns across the board. These indirect impacts will affect the entire economy, even though the direct damage will be more localised. Indirect damage is a particularly important portion of the overall risk in the more extreme scenarios (those with 5-6°C of warming). Asset managers cannot simply avoid climate risks by moving out of vulnerable asset classes if climate change has a primarily macroeconomic impact, affecting their entire portfolio of assets. In effect, total global output will be lower in a future with more climate change, rather than one with mitigation, and accordingly the size of the future stock of manageable assets will also be lower. Thirty years is a common time frame for pension funds and other long-term investors. But if investors wait until these risks actually manifest themselves, then the options they will have to deal with them will be significantly reduced. This is a vital concern, as the scope of investments available to a future portfolio will be more limited in a world with severe climate change than in one which has successfully mitigated climate risks. This means that future pensioners may see the security of their retirement jeopardised as a result of the climate risk that the asset managers charged with their investments are currently carrying. These findings indicate that climate change is likely to represent an obstacle for many asset owners and managers to fulfil their fiduciary duties. Fiduciary duty requires managers to act in the best interest of their beneficiaries. In practice this means they need to deliver the best, risk-adjusted returns possible. Unfortunately, too many investors currently overemphasise short-term performance at the expense of longer-term returns. If investment managers are aware of the extent of climate risk to the long-term value of the portfolios they manage, then it could be argued that to ignore it is a breach of their fiduciary duty. Indeed, fiduciaries arguably have an obligation to reduce the climate risk embedded in their portfolios. Yet to date few asset managers have measured the climate-related risks embedded in their portfolios, much less tried to mitigate them. According to estimates by the Asset Owners Disclosure Project,6 only 7% of asset owners calculate the carbon footprint of their portfolios, and only 1.4% have an explicit target to reduce it. The good news is that there are widespread opportunities to reduce systemic environmental risks, and many of them are clearly profitable. Some leading investors are already taking the _______________ 6 Global Climate 500 Index 2015, Asset Owners Disclosure Project. Available at: http://aodproject.net/climate-ratings/aodp-global-climate-500-index 49
THE COST OF INACTION: R E C O G N I S I N G T H E V A L U E A T R I S K F R O M C L I M A T E C H A N G E © THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT LIMITED 2015 initiative by investing in projects that finance the transition to a lower carbon economy. Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global runs an environmental fund of some NKr50bn (US$6bn) that is largely invested in alternative energy and energy efficiency; Aviva, the UK-headquartered insurer, is targeting a £500m (US$780m) annual investment in a low-carbon infrastructure over the next five years, and Allianz of Germany has committed €2.5bn (US$2.72bn) to renewable energy investments and plans to at least double its actual exposure in the medium term. Others are seeking to reduce long-term climate risks by decarbonising their portfolios. This need not come at the expense of short-term performance. The Swedish public pension fund AP4, for instance, has identified the 150 worst performers, in terms of carbon intensity, in the SP 500 index and divested its holdings in them. The remaining 350 stocks track the performance profile of the index closely but have 50% of its carbon footprint. While proactive steps addressing climate risk can demonstrate leadership, isolated activities will ultimately be insufficient. This is a collective action problem that must be addressed if carbon emissions, and thus climate risks, are to be reduced. It is clear that government action is required to establish a firm, clear price that reasonably reflects its externality costs. Rather than opposing this, institutional investors can collectively influence the companies in their portfolios to adapt and prepare for a lower carbon future. Moreover, investors can actively engage with policymakers, encouraging them to address this market failure as something that is in their collective self-interest. Although pricing carbon is essential, a carbon price alone is unlikely to completely solve the problem of climate change; complementary policies are necessary. The financial services sector has a vital role to play in managing the tail risks. To do so, better information and more thorough disclosure are needed by all market participants so that investors can make informed decisions. Financial institutions, however, have an obligation to manage their tail risks, and institutional investors specifically must manage their funds with the long-term benefit of their beneficiaries in mind. For this to be possible, regulators should issue guidance explicitly recognising climate risks as material. This means that disclosure of carbon emissions and acknowledgement of climate-related risks by publicly listed companies should be mandatory. Institutional investors should be able to assess and, where feasible, mitigate their climate risks accordingly. • The value at risk to manageable assets from climate change calculated in this report is US$4.2trn, in present value terms. • The tail risks are more extreme; 6°C of warming could lead to a present value loss worth US$13.8trn, using private-sector discount rates. • From the public-sector perspective, 6°C of warming represents present value losses worth US$43trn—30% of the entire stock of the world’s manageable assets. • Impacts on future assets will come not merely through direct, physical harms but also from weaker growth and lower asset returns across the board. The interconnected nature of the problem will reduce returns, even on investments unharmed by physical damage. • Although direct damage will be more localised, indirect impacts will affect the entire global economy; accordingly, asset managers will face significant challenges diversifying out of assets affected by climate change. Institutional investors need to assess their climate-related risks and take steps to mitigate them; very few have begun to do this. • Regulation has largely failed to confront the risks associated with climate change borne by long-term institutional investors. To enable meaningful risk analyses, public companies should be required to disclose their emissions in a standardised and comparable form. • Carbon pricing is crucial to addressing climate change. Government inaction with respect to this market failure neglects an issue of systemic risk and global importance. KEY FINDINGS 50
THE COST OF INACTION: R E C O G N I S I N G T H E V A L U E A T R I S K F R O M C L I M A T E C H A N G E © THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT LIMITED 2015 Imperfect data availability and patchy admissions on climate risk leave both regulators and institutional investors unable to adequately address these risks. Moreover, effectively co- ordinated regulation is necessary so that best practice can become standard practice. Without requirements to recognise climate risks as material, many organisations will choose to ignore them, creating “free riders” who shirk their own responsibilities while contributing to the long- term, systemic impact of climate change. France is going further than issuing guidance. In May 2015 its National Assembly voted to require French institutional investors to disclose information on sustainability factors in their investment criteria, and to explain how they take into account exposure to climate risks and how they measure greenhouse gas emissions associated with assets held in their portfolios. This makes sense, because just as a particular institution may represent systemic financial risk, similarly climate risks may be concentrated but poorly assessed by institutional investors; regulators need clarity as to where these long-term risks are borne. For these assessments to be meaningful, regulators need to require companies to disclose their carbon emissions and related risks so that investors can make informed decisions. To avoid sleepwalking into a climate crisis, large-scale efforts, such as France’s, are needed from both the public and the private sector. Moreover, to bolster effectiveness and avoid regulatory arbitrage, there is a clear need for co-ordinated action by national governments, institutional investors, regulatory bodies and international financial organisations. The UN Climate Change Conference (Conference of the Parties, or COP21) due to take place in Paris at the end of this year offers a major forum for governments to address this market failure and to chart a path towards mitigating climate change. If there are no strong commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meaningful actions to price carbon, then this historic opportunity will have been wasted. 51
steyertaylor.stanford.edu Crown Quadrangle | Stanford University | 559 Nathan Abbott Way | Stanford, CA 94305 INNOVATE | TEACH | CONNECT WE DEVELOP AND EXPLORE ECONOMICALLY SENSIBLE POLICY AND FINANCE SOLUTIONS THAT ADVANCE CLEANER AND MORE SECURE ENERGY 52
Category Climate Finance SmarterMoney Review Special Edition: Top 10 Smartest Reports on the Intersection of Climate Change and Finance 53
Climate Finance a Status Report Action Plan December 5, 2015 54
Climate Finance: a Status Report Action Plan The Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in December 2015 in Paris (COP21) comes at a pivotal moment for our planet. The global effects of climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions are becoming more apparent every day, as has been documented in the latest Assessment Report (AR5) from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Among the many important and decisive topics that will be dis- cussed during COP21 by government officials, agency rep- resentatives, policy makers and financial actors, will be how to significantly increase the funding for low-carbon economic development. An increase in funding is required to avoid the worst-case scenarios of climate change. However, many questions still remain over what are the most efficient methods to mitigate climate change. With climate finance at the center of the climate change debate, Climate Finance: A Status Report Action Plan (the Plan) aims to not only inform key policy makers, fi- nancial actors, and other stakeholders about the current and future trends taking place in the climate finance efforts, but set forth new strategies and investment vehicles for rapid scale-up and expansion of climate finance. Unlike other studies and reports about climate finance, which call for a change in government policy or ask financial actors to take on higher risk and lower than market rate returns, this Plan provides an argument for properly structured, low-carbon in- vestments that can produce risk/return profiles that meet the criteria of private finance, all within the parameters of the world we live in today. This is presented through various case studies and suggested financing mechanisms. The Plan makes the case that climate finance can be made an attractive investment, not only for the public sector but also the private sector. Institutional investors have signaled the intention to invest in more green companies and projects, but have not been able to find bankable deal flow proportionate to that appetite. Being able to blend public and private capital will be critical in advancing climate finance efforts. By providing a comprehensive brief about the current and future trends of climate finance, along with a detailed roadmap for replicating early successes, this Plan will demonstrate that investments in climate finance can significantly mitigate the effects of climate change in a timely manner and can also be attractive financial investments for both the public and private investor. 55
Section One: Overview of Climate Change Science Policy The issues associated with climate change are being witnessed today. Such impacts include droughts, an increased occurrence of wildfires, threats to fresh water security, more intense and frequent storms, and ocean acidification. Additionally, current policy responses from sub-national governments have played an important part in moving the conversation forward. The significance of these advance- ments shows that action does not need to wait on national agreements, but can con- tinue successfully at a smaller scale. Section Two: Overview of Climate Finance to Date Climate finance can be defined in a number of ways, and by a number of factors. Var- ious stakeholders perceive the monetary need of climate finance differently, but the general consensus among many independent organizations brings the conversation into the trillions and not the billions. Climate finance is needed to address two primary challenges: adaptation and miti- gation. They are two sides of the same coin in climate finance, though there exists a debate over which should be prioritized in a world trying to stop climate change with existing inertia. Overwhelmingly, the majority of climate finance to-date has been giv- en to mitigation efforts through a combination of public and private investment. On the other hand, adaptation efforts have seen significantly less funding, which typically has not involved the private sector. Both the public and private sector have played different roles in climate finance to date. The public sector, which includes government agencies, development banks and bilateral aid agencies, is willing to invest in opportunities that provide zero or be- low-market rates of return. The private sector, which includes sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, private equity, public equities, and commercial banks, is only willing to invest in opportunities that provide market-rate returns. The private sector is respon- sible for the majority of climate finance to date, but it is apparent that these financiers continue to invest in low-risk and familiar situations, which excludes many other im- portant low-carbon opportunities that lack the traditional structure to be attractive. Climate finance mechanisms from both the public and private sector have been met with varying degrees of success. A carbon trade emission scheme like REDD is one example that has seen success at a local or regional level, but it is ultimately an unre- liable source for project finance on a large scale. For private investors, the introduction of green bonds into the marketplace has provided a valuable outlet to distribute capital to low-carbon projects in an effective manner. Executive Summary 56
Climate Finance: a Status Report Action Plan Climate finance has benefitted from the installation of these mechanisms into the mar- ket, but there is still a gap in achieving the trillions needed. This disconnect arises from several barriers, which may be summarized as: • Large data gaps in climate finance efforts • Sovereign risk • Technology risk • Policy risk • Subsidies of incumbent technologies • Lack of project intermediaries and developers • Risk/Return On Investment gaps • Lack of tracking, certification, and clear definitions • Lack of institutional capacity and entrepreneurial skills Given the barriers presented, there is an importance in analyzing the innovative ap- proaches to climate finance to date in hopes of replicating them in the future. Four case studies are reviewed, which show how, when properly structured, effective cli- mate finance can be deployed. These include the R20’s retrofit of Brazilian streetlights into energy efficient, emission reducing LEDs as well as the Global Environment Facil- ity’s ability to leverage billions of public funds to gain private funds for climate finance. Section Three: Climate Finance: A Blueprint for the Future The Plan presents a realistic framework for future finance efforts, which utilizes an action-oriented approach to develop a low risk, high return scenario for climate finance projects worldwide. The framework can be replicated and scaled to different projects depending on the investment terms and region. The approach is to design investment vehicles that reflect both the sense of urgency and the realities faced by government policymakers and investors from both the public and private sectors. Intermediaries, such as the R20, provide added value to financing low-carbon development. This includes the ability to streamline processes to identify bankable projects as well as the option to aid in finalizing purchase agreements for project developers. Existing pre-investment facilities (PIFs) are generally limited by factors such as scope and geography, but innovative new PIFs are being established to provide investors with bankable, low-carbon economic development projects from different regions that meet market rate risk-adjusted return requirements. These new PIFs are structured 57
as revolving loan funds with seed capital for design, development, and due diligence of projects where success or transaction fees from completed projects replenishes the PIF so it can continue funding new feasibility studies and project plans. To provide a dedicated source of capital for the pipeline of projects passing through the PIF, the Plan proposes the Green Investment Accelerator Fund (GIAF). The GIAF will provide seed capital that can align the developers of climate-friendly investment opportunities with intermediaries that can de-risk those transactions and make them bankable; fund managers that can apply their financial and additional due diligence skills to ensure financial viability; and investors with capital to invest in these deals. The GIAF will act as an accelerator rather than the primary source of capital, helping to jumpstart transactions and unlock the main sources of capital. The GIAF Team will coordinate deal flow origination with capital sources, but will recruit qualified Fund Managers in each geographical region to lead diligence and investment. The GIAF is proposing a target fund size of $1 billion USD, which will be split equally among the five following regions: • Sub-Saharan Africa • Mediterranean and Middle East • China/India/Asia-Pacific • North America/Europe • Central/South America Section Four: Conclusion Call for Active Partners Specific investment vehicles and project development strategies, such as market-ori- ented PIFs and GIAFs, can form the basis of new large-scale climate finance projects and partnerships. R20 proposes to serve as a hub for these new opportunities and will recruit partners in refining the concepts presented in the Plan and launching new climate financing vehicles jointly with all relevant stakeholders. The Climate Finance Advisory Committee welcomes participation from all relevant stakeholders to help create this new model of climate finance (after a thorough iden- tification and review of existing hubs and climate financing vehicles to ensure real value-added for any new facilities), further validate its global viability, and replicate/ scale-up the concept in all markets at sufficient levels to address the identified climate finance needs. Executive Summary 58
EPICExcellence. Passion. Integrity. Caring. Lincoln, MA | New York, NY www.athenacapital.com InvestmentAdvisoryManagement |EstateWealthPlanning AdministrationReporting | ExternalChiefInvestmentOfficer Athena Capital Advisors is intensely focused on offering exceptional service and customization to meet our clients’ particular needs. As an established wealth manager, our core strength lies in the depth of our due diligence, risk management and portfolio management processes, into which we seam- lessly integrate impact goals for interested clients. For almost a decade, we have been helping individuals, families, and endowments incorporate their values into their investment portfolios. These are our values. What are yours? 59
ICS CHICAGO April 26 27, 2016 Nancy Pfund Managing Partner DBL Partners Jean Case CEO Case Foundation Key Note Speakers Climate Panel Speakers COP Paris Continuing the Conversation Deb Clarke Global Head of Investment Research Mercer (US) Inc. Liqian Ma Senior Investment Director Cambridge Associates Adam Wolfensohn Co-Managing Partner Encourage, LLC Alicia Seiger Deputy Director Stanford Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance

More Related Content

PDF
Big sky partners launch release feb 6 2017
byfused180
 
PPTX
Portfolio of companies presentation
byTy Richardson, PhD
 
PPTX
testing pppt
byBhandariGarima
 
PDF
Cisneros: “The Willingness, desire and drive are here”
byAdriana Cisneros
 
PPT
Flying With The Angels
byCompasScale LLC
 
PPTX
Northwest Social Venture Fund: Impact Capital: New Frontiers for Investors, M...
byNorthWest Social Venture Fund
 
PDF
SAI sales idea 0211 (2016_01_25 03_57_23 UTC)
byGordon R. Schonfeld, CFA
 
PDF
Vcp Brochure
bymla7b
 
Big sky partners launch release feb 6 2017
byfused180
 
Portfolio of companies presentation
byTy Richardson, PhD
 
testing pppt
byBhandariGarima
 
Cisneros: “The Willingness, desire and drive are here”
byAdriana Cisneros
 
Flying With The Angels
byCompasScale LLC
 
Northwest Social Venture Fund: Impact Capital: New Frontiers for Investors, M...
byNorthWest Social Venture Fund
 
SAI sales idea 0211 (2016_01_25 03_57_23 UTC)
byGordon R. Schonfeld, CFA
 
Vcp Brochure
bymla7b
 

What's hot

PDF
Khan, Taimoor
byTaimoor Khan
 
DOC
Bright Bio
byMichael T. Bright
 
DOC
1 page-Hungerford_WBart_ExBio(v1)
byBart Hungerford
 
PPT
Praxis Profile
byMahurkar
 
PDF
Phimpact presentation JD 02
byDr. Fernando Scarpati
 
DOCX
Chapter 2.2: Angel Networks: Frequently Asked Questions?
byVC Experts, Inc.
 
PPT
Granite Presentation -general Nov2015
byWarren Schad
 
DOC
Eg Grow Fl Story.Doc
bystevequello
 
PPTX
Jaguar Capital Your Innovation, Finance and Governance Specialist
byBuckley Mortgage - Mortgage Wellness
 
PDF
Hatchery - Staten Island
byAnthony Onesto
 
PPTX
Corporate Profile
byJesse Hollander
 
PPTX
Venture valuation a reality check
byBuckley Mortgage - Mortgage Wellness
 
PPTX
Alternative Financing Presentation delivered to Invest Atlantic Presentation ...
byBuckley Mortgage - Mortgage Wellness
 
PDF
2013 Investor Day: Company Strategy
byinvestors_principalfinancial
 
PDF
Saratoga Firm Overview
bySaratoga Investment Corp.
 
PDF
MME_05_16_16
byAsha Mehta, CFA
 
PPTX
Corrine Figueredo on Cleantech Investing
byinfoDevSlides
 
PDF
Bain & Co Private Equity Report (4-25-2013)
bySaratoga Investment Corp.
 
PDF
Antipodes media release
byJacob Mitchell
 
PDF
A Guide to Singapore Funds
byJeanette Seng
 
Khan, Taimoor
byTaimoor Khan
 
Bright Bio
byMichael T. Bright
 
1 page-Hungerford_WBart_ExBio(v1)
byBart Hungerford
 
Praxis Profile
byMahurkar
 
Phimpact presentation JD 02
byDr. Fernando Scarpati
 
Chapter 2.2: Angel Networks: Frequently Asked Questions?
byVC Experts, Inc.
 
Granite Presentation -general Nov2015
byWarren Schad
 
Eg Grow Fl Story.Doc
bystevequello
 
Jaguar Capital Your Innovation, Finance and Governance Specialist
byBuckley Mortgage - Mortgage Wellness
 
Hatchery - Staten Island
byAnthony Onesto
 
Corporate Profile
byJesse Hollander
 
Venture valuation a reality check
byBuckley Mortgage - Mortgage Wellness
 
Alternative Financing Presentation delivered to Invest Atlantic Presentation ...
byBuckley Mortgage - Mortgage Wellness
 
2013 Investor Day: Company Strategy
byinvestors_principalfinancial
 
Saratoga Firm Overview
bySaratoga Investment Corp.
 
MME_05_16_16
byAsha Mehta, CFA
 
Corrine Figueredo on Cleantech Investing
byinfoDevSlides
 
Bain & Co Private Equity Report (4-25-2013)
bySaratoga Investment Corp.
 
Antipodes media release
byJacob Mitchell
 
A Guide to Singapore Funds
byJeanette Seng
 

Viewers also liked

PDF
The Dering Roll
byMaria Dering
 
DOCX
Tarea 6
byepaucaruniandesr
 
PDF
청주오피.분당오피≒다솜넷≒대전오피걸．일산오피방
bydasom0040
 
PDF
Clube informatica
byPaulo Portelada
 
PDF
ProtofiloBelalHH_2
byBelal Herzallah
 
PPT
Fernando pessoa ortónimo
byRaquel Martins
 
DOC
SOURAV_NEW_ANDROID (2)
bySourav Mukherjee
 
PPTX
Metode Pengamatan
byRfr Egha
 
PDF
Análise ela canta pobre ceifeira alunos
byPaulo Portelada
 
PPT
Ichthyo ch. 1 (intro) ina
bytrisnawahyu
 
PPTX
Concepts II /Fashion+Beauty
byGina Asaro-Collura
 
PPS
A criança que fui - Fernando Pessoa
byMima Badan
 
PPTX
Beauty 2015
byZoom Active Lifestyle Marketing
 
The Dering Roll
byMaria Dering
 
Tarea 6
byepaucaruniandesr
 
청주오피.분당오피≒다솜넷≒대전오피걸．일산오피방
bydasom0040
 
Clube informatica
byPaulo Portelada
 
ProtofiloBelalHH_2
byBelal Herzallah
 
Fernando pessoa ortónimo
byRaquel Martins
 
SOURAV_NEW_ANDROID (2)
bySourav Mukherjee
 
Metode Pengamatan
byRfr Egha
 
Análise ela canta pobre ceifeira alunos
byPaulo Portelada
 
Ichthyo ch. 1 (intro) ina
bytrisnawahyu
 
Concepts II /Fashion+Beauty
byGina Asaro-Collura
 
A criança que fui - Fernando Pessoa
byMima Badan
 
Beauty 2015
byZoom Active Lifestyle Marketing
 

Similar to SmarterMoney+ Review 5 - Winter 2016

PDF
Voted Best in Class Impact Reports Smartermoney Review
byShawn Lesser
 
PDF
Smarter money review 3 spring 2015
byBig Path Capital
 
PDF
SmarterMoney+ Review 3 Spring 2015
byImpact Capitalism Summit
 
PPTX
Start Growing Your Financial Literacy
byFinLit
 
PDF
IGP_QuickProfile_Sep2016
byPranav Bhakta
 
PDF
Icsprimer final-140527084152-phpapp02
byPietro Bergamaschini
 
PDF
TCN Fast Track Mentor Lunch Directory
byThe Capital Network
 
PDF
Afrika Tikkun USA's Leadership
byAfrika Tikkun USA
 
PPT
Mbs Intnl Capabilities Dec 2012
bymskruzny
 
PDF
SmarterMoney+ Review 2 Spring 2014
byImpact Capitalism Summit
 
PDF
MBS Value Credentials
bymskruzny
 
PDF
Ideiasnet20091118v1 english
byideiasnet
 
PDF
Solutions for Impact Investors
byNonprofit Finance Fund_SIB Learning Hub
 
PDF
Accelerating Impact Impact Investing & Innovative Financing for Development
byKarim Harji
 
PDF
NVCA yearbook 2011
byNikhil Kalghatgi
 
PDF
Grassroots Business Fund
byUM_ITC
 
PDF
Corporate Overview
byjimikemo
 
PDF
MBS Capabilities
bymskruzny
 
PDF
A maze
byInvesteurs Consulting Pvt. Ltd
 
PDF
Train Stop Tour
byShawn Lesser
 
Voted Best in Class Impact Reports Smartermoney Review
byShawn Lesser
 
Smarter money review 3 spring 2015
byBig Path Capital
 
SmarterMoney+ Review 3 Spring 2015
byImpact Capitalism Summit
 
Start Growing Your Financial Literacy
byFinLit
 
IGP_QuickProfile_Sep2016
byPranav Bhakta
 
Icsprimer final-140527084152-phpapp02
byPietro Bergamaschini
 
TCN Fast Track Mentor Lunch Directory
byThe Capital Network
 
Afrika Tikkun USA's Leadership
byAfrika Tikkun USA
 
Mbs Intnl Capabilities Dec 2012
bymskruzny
 
SmarterMoney+ Review 2 Spring 2014
byImpact Capitalism Summit
 
MBS Value Credentials
bymskruzny
 
Ideiasnet20091118v1 english
byideiasnet
 
Solutions for Impact Investors
byNonprofit Finance Fund_SIB Learning Hub
 
Accelerating Impact Impact Investing & Innovative Financing for Development
byKarim Harji
 
NVCA yearbook 2011
byNikhil Kalghatgi
 
Grassroots Business Fund
byUM_ITC
 
Corporate Overview
byjimikemo
 
MBS Capabilities
bymskruzny
 
A maze
byInvesteurs Consulting Pvt. Ltd
 
Train Stop Tour
byShawn Lesser
 

Recently uploaded

DOCX
Double Membrane Biogas Holder for Livestock Wastewater Treatment A Strong, Fl...
byAllenLin596164
 
PPTX
Environmental Problems (Local, Regional, and Global Levels)
byMicrobiology
 
DOCX
Biogas Holder Balloon for Biogas Collection Systems An Integral Component for...
byAllenLin596164
 
DOCX
Double Membrane Biogas Holder for Brewing Wastewater Treatment Provides Flexi...
byAllenLin596164
 
PDF
Feedback • Launch the Hydrogen economy & skills for heavy duty mobility in No...
byReWaN
 
PPTX
The Impact of E-Waste on Our Environment .pptx
bysimishoukathkm21
 
DOCX
Biogas Holder Balloon for a Wheat Stalk Biogas Digester Stores the Methane-Ri...
byAllenLin596164
 
PPTX
GREEN HOUSE AFFECT ppt .pptx
byAyeshaTanveenTVSATum
 
PDF
Santoro ESPP slides_Digestate legislation_Verona 9_11_25.pdf
byEuropean Sustainable Phosphorus Platform
 
PPTX
Prepare For, live through, and Survive a WILDFIRE
byBob Mayer
 
DOCX
Double Membrane Biogas Holder for Food Fermentation Wastewater Provides Flexi...
byAllenLin596164
 
PDF
10th Strategic Dialogue of the Carbon Market Platform - Isabella Villanueva-G...
byOECD Environment
 
PPTX
Environmental Challenges
byMicrobiology
 
PPTX
NF Mphil geography.pptx survivalism in Pakistan
bySheikhInayat7
 
PPTX
Introduction to Environmental Pollution and their Impacts on Public Health
byMicrobiology
 
PPTX
Introduction to Environmental Pollution and their Impacts on Public Health
byAmjad Khan Afridi
 
PPTX
DRAINAGE SYSTEMS IN.pptx.....................................
byMatimbaRangwato
 
DOCX
Biogas Holder Balloon for a Cotton Stalk Biogas Digester The Flexible Cap Use...
byAllenLin596164
 
DOCX
Biogas Holder Balloon for a Mini Biogas Digester A Simple, Flexible, and Low-...
byAllenLin596164
 
PPTX
Introduction-to-Indian-Vegetation (1).pptx
bys36788334
 
Double Membrane Biogas Holder for Livestock Wastewater Treatment A Strong, Fl...
byAllenLin596164
 
Environmental Problems (Local, Regional, and Global Levels)
byMicrobiology
 
Biogas Holder Balloon for Biogas Collection Systems An Integral Component for...
byAllenLin596164
 
Double Membrane Biogas Holder for Brewing Wastewater Treatment Provides Flexi...
byAllenLin596164
 
Feedback • Launch the Hydrogen economy & skills for heavy duty mobility in No...
byReWaN
 
The Impact of E-Waste on Our Environment .pptx
bysimishoukathkm21
 
Biogas Holder Balloon for a Wheat Stalk Biogas Digester Stores the Methane-Ri...
byAllenLin596164
 
GREEN HOUSE AFFECT ppt .pptx
byAyeshaTanveenTVSATum
 
Santoro ESPP slides_Digestate legislation_Verona 9_11_25.pdf
byEuropean Sustainable Phosphorus Platform
 
Prepare For, live through, and Survive a WILDFIRE
byBob Mayer
 
Double Membrane Biogas Holder for Food Fermentation Wastewater Provides Flexi...
byAllenLin596164
 
10th Strategic Dialogue of the Carbon Market Platform - Isabella Villanueva-G...
byOECD Environment
 
Environmental Challenges
byMicrobiology
 
NF Mphil geography.pptx survivalism in Pakistan
bySheikhInayat7
 
Introduction to Environmental Pollution and their Impacts on Public Health
byMicrobiology
 
Introduction to Environmental Pollution and their Impacts on Public Health
byAmjad Khan Afridi
 
DRAINAGE SYSTEMS IN.pptx.....................................
byMatimbaRangwato
 
Biogas Holder Balloon for a Cotton Stalk Biogas Digester The Flexible Cap Use...
byAllenLin596164
 
Biogas Holder Balloon for a Mini Biogas Digester A Simple, Flexible, and Low-...
byAllenLin596164
 
Introduction-to-Indian-Vegetation (1).pptx
bys36788334
 

SmarterMoney+ Review 5 - Winter 2016

  • 1.
    SmarterMoney+ Review Winter 2016 /Volume 5 Presents Maximize Impact + Maximize Return Across Asset Classes Thought leadership for impact investors Voted Best In Class Impact Reports ™ Special Edition: Top 10 Smartest Reports on the Intersection of Climate Change and Finance
  • 2.
    SHAWN LESSER –CO-FOUNDER & PARTNER Shawn Lesser has over twenty years of experience in the financial advisory sector to Big Path Capital. Prior to co-founding Big Path Capital, Shawn founded the investment bank, Sustainable World Capital, which assisted cleantech companies in raising capital from European institutional investors. Shawn has been Co-Head and Managing Director of the international equity teams at Morgan Keegan and at Deutsche Bank. He is the author of the book, 2012 Global Cleantech Directory: 100 Cleantech Lists That Matter. In partnership with Michael Whelchel, Shawn has founded a number of first of their kind initiatives all of which demonstrate SmarterMoney+- maximize return, maximize impact. Those include the Five Fund Forum, Impact Capitalism Summit, and Impact & Sustainable Trade Missions. In 2010, Shawn also co-founded the Global Cleantech Cluster Association as a meta- cluster to create momentum and move the cleantech market by networking global clusters together. Shawn speaks at events around the world on the topic of Impact and Sustainable Investment and partners with the US Department of Commerce conducting the Impact and Sustainable Trade Mission across the globe. Shawn received his BS in Finance from Syracuse University. He is conversant in German and Spanish and lives in Atlanta, Georgia. MICHAEL WHELCHEL – CO-FOUNDER & PARTNER Michael Whelchel brings over two decades of experience financing, acquiring, selling, growing, and operating growth-oriented companies to Big Path Capital. Prior to co-founding Big Path Capital, he worked with both start-ups and later-stage companies in a range of industries, playing key roles in the early development of two private equity firms focused on growth-oriented companies. Michael managed the full investment process including sourcing, deal structure, due diligence, negotiations, financing, portfolio management, sales on exit, and fund raising. In 2007, with the old economy at a dead end, Michael established Big Path Capital to advance an expansive economy built on natural, social, and financial capital. In partnership with Shawn Lesser, Michael has founded a number of first of their kind initiatives all of which demonstrate SmarterMoney+ - maximize return, maximize impact. Those include the Five Fund Forum, Impact Capitalism Summit, and Impact & Sustainable Trade Missions. Michael received his BA summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from the University of the South in Sewanee, TN and received a joint MBA and MEM (Master of Engineering Management) from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. Michael is an advisory board member of the Croatan Institute and the Babson Center for Global Commerce and is a member of the Social Venture Network and Net Impact. JYOTI AGGARWALA – DIRECTOR Jyoti is a seasoned financial services professional with more than twenty five years of finance and institutional sales experience. She has dedicated the last fifteen years of her career to building relationships with top-tier institutional investors globally who are investing in alternative assets, primarily venture capital and private equity. Her cumulative work experience has been across asset classes, strategies and geographies including US Equities & Emerging Asian Equity Markets, and Alternatives - Emerging Market Real Estate, Indian Growth Expansion, European Infrastructure, US Private Equity and Venture. Jyoti is equally skilled and experienced in organizing investor events that are both educational and provide an opportunity for business development and networking. Jyoti has approached her career in an entrepreneurial manner working independently for the last nine years during which time she was registered with Scarsdale Equities, LLC between 2009 and 2015. Prior to that she was a partner with Thomas Capital Group, a Seattle based boutique private placement firm. She has also worked with leading domestic and international brokerage firms including Ladenburg, Thalmann & Co, Nomura Securities, and Peregrine Brokerage, Inc. Ms Aggarwala holds Series 7, 63 and 24 registrations. She earned an MBA in Finance from Bentley University and a BA (Honors) in Economics from Delhi University. She frequently volunteers to teach financial literacy to students through the High Water Women financial literacy program. JORDAN BEBEE – DIRECTOR Jordan has over eleven years of combined experience in private equity and venture capital fund fundraising, public accounting, and impact entrepreneurship. At Thomas Capital Group, Inc., a boutique placement agent headquartered near Seattle, WA, Jordan held a variety of responsibilities including: new business research, development and due-diligence; sales and marketing material production; and sales and marketing support and facilitation. He also served as co-head of the firm’s finance department. Prior to joining Thomas Capital Group in 2007, Jordan worked as a senior auditor at Moss Adams LLP in Seattle, specializing in hedge funds, RIAs, broker-dealers, specialty finance firms and the broader financial services industry. He graduated magna cum laude from Linfield College with a B.A. in Accounting and a minor in Philosophy. He co-captained the men’s soccer team for two years and was honored as an NSCAA All-American and NSCAA All-American Scholar. Jordan, a beginning farmer himself with a farm in the Pacific Northwest, has a strong interest in regenerative agriculture and food systems. NANCY ROSENZWEIG – DIRECTOR Nancy has two decades of leadership experience in values driven, consumer-facing companies. She has held C level and or governance positions at Bright Horizons, Tom’s of Maine, ZipCar, Mamma Chia, Root Capital and Trillium Asset Management. Nancy has an impressive track record of creating business value by identifying consumer trends ahead of the curve. In her leadership roles Nancy has been successful at raising capital, managing mergers, spin-outs and corporate sales to strategic buyers. DAN KOLBER - BROKER DEALER Dan started his legal career with a major Wall Street law firm in New York City. Also, he has co-founded and served as chief operating officer of a regional airline, and founded and served as chief executive officer of several securities firms and investment advisory firms in addition to Intellivest Securities, Inc. and Intellivest Securities Research, Inc. He has been credited by Inc. Magazine and the Wall St. Journal with designing the zero coupon convertible note for use in the private sector. He has been featured in a book published by Inc. Magazine profiling his creative use of this instrument. He holds the following securities licenses: General Securities Principal (Series 24), Financial and Operations Principal (Series 27), Municipal Securities Principal (Series 53), Registered Options Principal (Series 4), Research Principal (Series 87), Investment Banker (Series 79) and Registered Investment Advisor (Series 65). His education is as follows: New York University School of Law, Ll.M., 1981; University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1978; and Boston University, B.A., 1975, magna cum laude. He is an active member of the following bars: Virginia (1978); Florida (1978); New York (1979) and Georgia (1985). Dan Kolber has the “AV” rating by Martindale-Hubbell, its highest ranking for lawyers.
  • 3.
    About the Publisher Overview.Leveraging one of the largest networks of Impact Investors globally, Big Path Capital assists purpose- driven companies and funds ensuring mission preservation across financial transactions, including acquisitions, mergers, and capital raises. Big Path has worked in over 100 engagements, more than any investment bank in the sector. As a global firm, Big Path Capital is advancing a sustainable economy connecting mission-driven companies and fund managers with mission-aligned investors. Big Path Capital’s clients include entrepreneurs, companies, and fund managers advancing an expansive economy built on natural, social, and financial capital. Mission. Big Path Capital’s principals are dedicated to fund managers and business owners expanding the path for business interests seeking multiple bottom lines, taking the new economy from the margins to the mainstream, and pursuing business that generates good as it generates return. Big Path champions the client’s mission, scaling growth, and perpetuating and expanding impact. Big Path Capital is proud to be a founding B Corp member. Key Focus Areas. Big Path represents the largest impact investing network in the sector and focuses on: • Companies. Big Path assists business owners with financial transactions including company sales, acquisitions, and capital raises. • Funds. Big Path assists fund managers in capital introductions. • Events. Big Path curates events focused on institutional investors. Those include the Impact Capitalism Summit ( Chicago and Nantucket), the Five Fund Forum, the Impact & Sustainable Trade Missions in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Impact Capitalism Train Stop Tour which will be providing half-day educational sessions in 15 different cites. • Field Building. Big Path has launched the Impact Academy to assist institutional investors on how to integrate impact investing into their investment strategies, and is committed to publishing the SmarterMoney+ Review bi-annually. IMPACT ACADEMY
  • 4.
    SmarterMoney+ Review Winter 2015 Letterfrom Contributing Editor The Paris Agreement adopted by nearly 200 nations at the COP21 UN Climate Conference in December last year has paved the way for unprecedented global cooperation to tackle climate change. Alongside governments, nearly 500 investors with more than $25 trillion in assets under management joined cities, regions, businesses, and civil society in calling for concerted action to limit global temperature increases to less than 2° Celsius above pre- industrial levels. Against this backdrop and the rapidly growing fossil-free Divest-Invest movement, we have brought together a compendium of ten of the most significant recent papers addressing climate change and finance in this special issue of SmarterMoney+ Review. Chosen by an expert Selection Committee of leading impact investors and climate specialists, these papers highlight the deepening commitment on the part of investors to manage climate risk, “decarbonize” their portfolios, and seize opportunities associated with the transition to a low-carbon energy future. Thomas Burton, head of the cleantech practice at the law firm of Mintz Levin; Alicia Seiger, Deputy Director of the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance at Stanford University; Sara Silver, Head of Outreach and Communications of the CDP; Lindsey White, Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships at Ceres; and Adam Wolfensohn, Co-Managing Partner and Board of Directors from Encourage Capital have joined our enlarged Selection Committee to advise us on this issue. The first paper by Alliance Bernstein strategists Michael Parker, Flora Chang, and Derek Lam, on Asia Strategy: Shouldn’t We All Be Dead by Now?, stresses the rapid pace with which solar and other renewables are in the process of displacing fossil fuels over the next two decades. With massive, stranded carbon assets looming on the horizon, they anticipate a collapse in CO2 emissions by the end of the decade. Although they argue that climate change won’t likely occur as a consequence of these trends, this also leads them to the paradoxical investment conclusion that fossil-fuel extraction should accelerate in the short term ahead of this energy transition, particularly in the Asian economies that they closely follow. Carbon Asset Risk: From Rhetoric to Action, a report published by Ceres with the Two Degree Investing Initiative, Energy Transition Advisors, and Carbon Tracker Initiative, highlights the increasing acceptance of the concept of “carbon asset risk” within capital markets. Although the transition to a lower-carbon economy is occurring much more gradually than they believe is needed, the study documents the multiple ways that both companies and investors are beginning to evaluate and assess their exposure to carbon risk and then manage it through disclosure, diversification, divestment, and engagement. The US edition of CDP’s 2015 Climate Change Report similarly documents how major Wall Street investment firms have increasingly embraced low-carbon investment themes. Growing percentages of the largest publicly traded US companies have begun taking action to manage climate-related risks in their operations, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions or increasing energy efficiency. Consequently, US-based asset managers, index providers, and ratings agencies are building out product offerings that incorporate environmental, social, and governance factors into funds, indices, and bond ratings. Several of the papers presented here help institutional investors grapple with the risks and opportunities that climate change poses to their portfolios. Action on Climate: A Practical Guide for Fiduciaries, a toolkit developed by Responsible Endowments Coalition, SEIU’s Capital Stewardship Program, and Croatan Institute, provides practical resources to support the decision-making process of endowments, foundations, faith-based investors, and pension funds as they seek to take action on climate change. The papers by leading institutional investment consultants Mercer and Cambridge Associates make forceful cases for assessing portfolio risks that climate change amplifies. The Cambridge study, Risks and Opportunities from the Changing Climate, provides a series
  • 5.
    of both defensiveand offensive tactics for long-term investors to integrate climate change and resource efficiency into their investment strategies. The Mercer paper, Investing in a Time of Climate Change, builds upon the firm’s earlier, path-breaking work on strategic asset allocation around climate risk. This report places particular emphasis on managing climate risks within asset classes and industry sectors across short-, medium-, and long-term time horizons. Two of the selected papers use scenario analysis to document the threat of significant potential losses due to climate change and the emerging low-carbon energy transition. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s paper The Cost of Inaction: Recognising the Value at Risk from Climate Change calculates more than $4 trillion in value at risk for manageable financial assets, with nearly $14 trillion in present value losses under more extreme, tail-risk scenarios involving 6°C of global warming. The Carbon Tracker Initiative’s “Lost in Transition” report provides an illuminating assessment of the substantial downside risks associated with the demand destruction occurring within the fossil fuel-based energy sector – as solar energy generating capacity builds out at rates accelerating far more rapidly than historically forecast over the last decade and a half. Prudent investors will need to pay much closer attention to their exposure to these increasingly material climate-related risks. The Risky Business Project provides a more place-based angle on the economic risks associated with climate change, by zeroing in on wide-ranging threats faced by California’s diverse economy. From Boom to Bust? Climate Risk in the Golden State argues that the world’s eighth largest economy will see a dramatic increase in extreme heat and drought and widespread coastal property losses due to sea level rise. If rapid action is not taken, the paper argues, then climate change will pose urgent threats to some of the state’s most important businesses – in agriculture, tourism and recreation, and real estate. California thus provides a microcosmic case study of the wider kinds of economic risks – and opportunities – that global warming is already amplifying in many places around the world. Finally, we conclude this issue with an overview of the state of climate finance, provided by R20 Regions of Climate Action and the University of Southern California’s Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy. Climate Finance: A Status Report & Action Plan proposes the development of new low-carbon investment vehicles that would provide attractive risk-adjusted returns to private investors in order to supplement the public-sector financial commitments made by governments at the Paris Climate Change Conference. Given the $1 trillion annual investment gap in energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies needed to stabilize the climate, private investors – for better or worse – will clearly need to step into the void. For all the risks that climate change clearly presents, this collection also makes clear that the opportunities associated with the emerging transition to a lower-carbon economy are abundant and immediate – across asset classes. We hope this selection of studies inspires you to take action on climate today. Joshua Humphreys Shawn Lesser Michael Whelchel President Managing Partner Managing Partner Croatan Institute Big Path Capital Big Path Capital The SmarterMoney Review are not research reports and are not intended to be relied upon to make any investment decision; they are for general education only to educate the public about Impact Investing. Big Path and Intellivest Securities, Inc. have not verified the information contained in these articles and are not responsible for the content or any actions taken by any one in reliance thereon. Articles contained herein have been reprinted with permission. Disclaimer: Investing banking services are provided by Intellivest Securities, Inc. a member of FINRA (www.finra.org). The presentations given by fund managers at the Summit do not constitute an offering of securities. Such an offer may only be made in compliance with disclosure and delivery requirements under applicable, securities laws and will be limited to prescribed categories of investors.
  • 6.
    Table of Contents EnergyMarkets 11 Carbon Exposure 16 Carbon Asset Risk: From Rhetoric to Action by CERES 17 Climate Change Report 2015: The mainstreaming of low-carbon on Wall Street by CDP 22 Asia Strategy: Shouldn't we all be dead by now? by Alliance Bernstein 12 Climate Exposure 26 Action on Climate: A Practical Guide for Fiduciaries by Responsible Endowments Coalition 27 From Boom to Bust? Climate Risk in the Golden State by Risky Business 33 Investing in a Time of Climate Change by Mercer 38 Lost in Transition by Carbon Tracker 41 Risks & Opportunities From the Changing Climate by Cambridge Associates 44 The Cost of Inaction: Recognising the Value at Risk from Climate Change by The Economist Intelligence Unit 47 Climate Finance 53 Climate Finance: A Status Report & Action Plan by R20 Regions of Climate Action and USC Schwarzenegger 54 Institute for State and Global Policy Consulting Editor & Selection Committee 7 Articles contained herein have been reprinted with permission. The featured articles were nominated by well-known leaders within the impact investing community and the top ten were selected by the review committee including Big Path Capital, Cambridge Associates, Encourage Capital, Mintz Levin, Prudential Financial, Croatan Institute, Athena Capital Advisors, CERES, CDP, and Stanford Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy & Finance. 6
  • 7.
    Consulting Editor Selection Committee JoshuaHumphreys is the President and Senior Fellow at the Croatan Institute, an independent institute for advanced social and environmental research and engagement. A leading authority on sustainable and responsible investing, Dr. Humphreys has taught at Harvard, Princeton, and NYU. His insights on trends in sustainable finance and impact investing have been widely published in the press, most recently in Barron’s, Bloomberg, BusinessWeek, the Financial Times, Forbes, Institutional Investor, Pensions and Investments, and the Journal of Investing. He currently serves on advisory boards of the Dwight Hall SRI Fund at Yale University, the responsible Endowments Coalition, and the Coalition for Responsible Investment at Harvard. Luke Apicella has eight years of impact investing experience. As an associate with Prudential Impact Investments, he is responsible for the origination and asset management activities to grow the portfolio to $1 billion. He covers numerous relationships, industries, private asset types, and impact objectives. Apicella serves on the boards and/or committees for several portfolio companies including a Real Estate Investment Trust, a Community Development Finance Institution, and a local start-up. His signature transactions include a term loan for an innovative charter school in New York City with performance pay for teachers, a co-investment with a leading private equity fund in a high growth sustainable consumer goods company, and a next vintage investment in the top performing affordable housing fund. Apicella started his career with Prudential and soon after became an analyst with Impact Investments responsible for the portfolio management Joshua Humphreys President and Senior Fellow Croatan Institute Luke Apicella Associate Prudential Impact Investments Tom’s global practice focuses on complex corporate finance matters including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, private equity, and securities transactions. He represents high- growth and emerging businesses, including companies in the energy and clean technology, social media and software industries, as well as life science companies, from start-ups to public companies. Tom is member of the firm’s Policy Committee. In 2004, Tom founded, and currently chairs, the firm’s Energy Technology Practice, which serves more than 250 clients. Since 2006, the firm’s Energy Technology Practice has completed more than 350 transactions in this sector totaling over $7 billion. Tom is ranked by Best Lawyers in America in the Corporate Law section, and he is recognized by The Legal Thomas Burton III Member Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. activities including valuation, forecasting, and reporting. Apicella has degrees in sustainability management from Columbia University (MS), finance from New York University (MBA), and entrepreneurship from Syracuse University (BS). 500 Unites States as “rising to the fore” in energy technology for Venture Capital and Emerging Companies. 7
  • 8.
    Selection Committee (continued) Noelleis a Senior Investment Director in the Mission- Related Investing (“MRI”) Group in Cambridge Associates’ Arlington office. She identifies and researches MRI managers across asset classes and serves as a resource to generalist investment directors in the firm by monitoring managers in clients’ MRI programs. Prior to rejoining the firm in 2010, Noelle was a senior investment advisor at the IAM National Pension Fund, where she focused on alternative assets, including portable alpha, hedge funds, natural resources, infrastructure, opportunistic debt, and private equity. Noelle began her career at Cambridge Associates as a consulting associate in 2003. During her time at the firm, she was promoted to senior consulting associate and team leader responsible for overseeing consulting associates and liaising with firm wide management. In addition, Noelle was involved in the firm’s consulting associaterecruiting initiatives. Noelle Laing Sr. Investment Director Cambridge Associates Michael Lear is a Vice President on the Portfolio Management Team. An experienced portfolio manager, Michael came to Athena from MetLife Investment Strategies Group where he worked as a portfolio advisor. Prior to that Michael worked as a portfolio manager at Carruth Associates managing assets for an investment division of the single family office. He also spent eight years as a portfolio manager at State Street Global Advisors where he worked on the Multi Asset Class Solutions team focusing on exposure management and portable alpha as well as in the Investor Solutions Group where he focused on tax efficient solutions for high net worth clients. Michael earned his B.S. in Marketing from Boston College and holds an M.S. in Investment Management from Boston University. Michael has received the Certified Investment Management Analyst designation, the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation, is a member of the Investment Management Consultants Associationand the Boston Security Michael Lear VP, Portfolio Management Athena Capital Advisors As Deputy Director of the Stanford Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy & Finance, Alicia manages the center’s research, programming, operations, and market engagement. Alicia also leads the center’s work to identify opportunities for philanthropic and long-term investors to fill financing gaps to scale up clean energy. Prior to joining the center, Alicia founded Climate Strategy Partners, a strategic advisory services provider that designed and executed climate and energy programs for foundations, investors and NGOs. She has served on the management teams of multiple startups, including at TerraPass, a pioneer of the US carbon offset market, and Flycast Communications, one of the first web advertising networks. Alicia is a member of Ceres President’s Council, and serves as an advisor to PRIME – Program Related Investment Makers: Energy and the Los Angeles Business Council Institute. She holds a MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she also served as a case writer for the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, and a BA in Environmental Alicia Seiger Deputy Director Stanford Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy & Finance Sara Silver Head of Outreach & Communications CDP Sara Silver researches carbon-efficient finance and coordinates carbon pricing outreach for CDP, a global not-for- profit that analyzes companies’ climate risks and opportunities on behalf of 822 institutional investors representing $95 trillion in assets. More than 5,500 companies -- representing more than half of the world’s publicly traded stock -- disclosed environmental information through CDP last year. As a journalist, Sara was a Wall Street Journal staff writer covering technology, a Financial Times correspondent in Latin America, and covered New York City and Mexico for The Associated Press. She has edited two books on global financial markets, fund management columns for the FT and international news for AP. She also helped develop business plans for clean energy start-ups. Sara earned an MBA from Columbia Business School analyst Society. Michael is a CFA charterholder and currently holds the Series 6 license and Series 63 license. Noelle is a CFA Charter holder and received her BS in Mathematics with Honors from St. Lawrence University. Policy and Cultural Anthropology from Duke University. and an MS from Columbia Journalism School as a Knight-Bagehot Fellow, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in political science. 8
  • 9.
    Adam Wolfensohn Co-Managing Partner& Board of Directors Encourage Capital Lindsey White Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships CERES Selection Committee (continued) Lindsey is the Senior Manager for Strategic Partnerships at Ceres, a leading Boston-headquartered NGO that mobilizes investor and business leadership to build a thriving, sustainable global economy. In this role, Lindsey created and directs Ceres' Family Offices and Family Foundations Initiative, providing guidance and advocacy for families and foundations on incorporating climate risks and opportunities into investment policies and practices. She also develops and leads program- related corporate and corporate foundation partnerships for Ceres, as well as alliances with partner NGOs toward shared sustainabilitygoals. She graduated with honors from Princeton University with a B.A. in history and also earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management, where her studies focused on the intersection of business and the environment and on impact investing. During graduate school, Lindsey interned for global private equity firm the Riverside Company, developing an ESG screen for the firm’s due diligence process and leading sustainability- focused communications projects. Lindsey co- chairs the Boston chapter of WISE (Women Investing for a Sustainable Economy). Relations. Adam earned a B.A. from Princeton University and an M.E.M. from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Adam Wolfensohn is a Co-Managing Partner and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Encourage Capital. Before the merger, Adam was Managing Director at Wolfensohn Fund Management and also managed the Wolfensohn family office cleantech and environmental markets strategies. From 2003 to 2006, he produced the climate change documentary, “Everything’s Cool,” that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007. From 2002 to 2003, he worked with Conservation International to help various rock groups and music festivals offset their carbon emissions through avoided deforestation projects. Prior to 2002, Adam composed music for numerous films, television commercials and theater productions, and he was founder and CEO of “Red Ramona,” an award winning music and sound design studio in New York City. He is a Trustee of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Yad Hanadiv, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, the Harmony Institute and Bang on a Can. He is a member of the investment committee of Rockefeller Brothers Fund and is a member of the Council on Foreign 9
  • 10.
    1 CDP Investor Initiatives Climate change,water, pollution and deforestation present risks and opportunities. To learn more, contact Chris Fowle, VP of Investor Initiatives +1 212 646 517 1459 [email protected] Institutional investors are acting to reduce long-term risks from environmental externalities. Backed by more than 822 institutional investors representing US$95 trillion in assets, CDP gives investors access to a global source of year-on-year information to support long-term objective analysis. This includes evidence and insight into companies’ greenhouse gas emissions, water usage and strategies for managing climate change, water and deforestation risks. For HSBC, climate change is a cornerstone of our ongoing business strategy… The reporting framework that CDP has pioneered over the past decade has helped us both as a respondent and a signatory. Douglas Flint, Group Chairman, HSBC Holdings plc 10
  • 11.
    Category Energy Markets SmarterMoney Review Special Edition:Top 10 Smartest Reports on the Intersection of Climate Change and Finance 11
  • 12.
    MAY 2015 SEE DISCLOSUREAPPENDIX OF THIS REPORT FOR IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES AND ANALYST CERTIFICATIONS ASIA STRATEGY: SHOULDN'T WE ALL BE DEAD BY NOW? A supply side, climate change investment analysis Falling energy intensity in emerging markets, falling energy demand in developed markets, and renewables will mean CO2 emissions will start falling by the end of the decade, in our view. Avoiding perilous CO2 levels will cease to be about government regulation and instead reflect economics. Renewables are now cheaper than some fossil fuels and will get cheaper still. Fossil fuel reserves are now or will shortly be depreciating assets and, over the long term, risk being stranded. The only rational strategy is therefore: dig. Low and falling energy and commodity prices are now permanent. A secondary effect of all this is the survival of the species. 12
  • 13.
    BERNSTEIN ASIA STRATEGY: SHOULDN'TWE ALL BE DEAD BY NOW? PORTFOLIO MANAGER'S SUMMARY I have been researching, writing about or talking about various aspects of Asian energy demand, Chinese coal supply, the declining cost of solar and the proliferation of renewables for most of the last seven years. Over that entire period, the question that rarely gets asked is: shouldn't we all be dead already? We thought we'd tackle it. Since climate change first came to the attention of the general public in the early 1990s, we have collectively and literally put the foot on the accelerator in terms of energy consumption in a way that no one predicted 25 years ago. SUVs, flat screens, shale gas and oil, China, India, and Fukushima all directly or indirectly added to carbon emissions in a way no one saw coming. In short, if things looked bad a quarter of a century ago when China and India were blips in terms of global energy demand, things must be apocalyptic now. This Blackbook addresses that simple existential question (how come we're not dead yet?) and seeks to extract investment conclusions from the answer. We are not oil and gas analysts. We are not auto analysts. We are not power or commodities analysts (anymore). Yet what we are outlining here has massive implications for all those sectors over the next 10 years, but — outside of coal — virtually no impact right now. Accordingly, a sector analyst's view that none of it matters — to earnings — and our own view that it is crucial — to multiples — are, in some ways, completely consistent. We have no interest in contradicting the views of our colleagues who are sector analysts. At the same time, one of the roles that we believe a strategist can strive to fulfill is highlighting potentially disruptive dynamics occurring at the periphery of large global sectors that, among other things, pose risks to historical valuation multiples. That is precisely what we believe is occurring with solar and energy storage right now. If solar and energy storage cost declines continue at anything approaching current rates, the long-term implications on the auto and power sectors (as currently configured) and on oil, gas and coal demand are catastrophic. The short-term implications are immaterial. If you assume that the probability of that continuing cost decline is zero, the impact remains immaterial forever. For any value greater than zero, we have the makings of a real investment controversy. Renewables are now cheaper than some fossil fuels and will get cheaper still. The transition away from fossil fuels is irreversible. The only rational strategy is therefore: dig. Michael W. Parker [email protected] +852-2918-5747 Flora Chang [email protected] +852-2918-5737 Derek Lam [email protected] +852-2918-5734 May 26, 2015 13
  • 14.
    BERNSTEIN ASIA STRATEGY: SHOULDN'TWE ALL BE DEAD BY NOW? SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS Current debate over climate change almost invariably focuses on one half of the equation: consumption or, more accurately, the planet's ability to absorb (consume) carbon dioxide. Estimates about the supply side of the equation — the amount of greenhouse gas 7 billion people produce in going about modern life, and how that might change or even fall over time — tends to get overlooked. The reason for this focus on consumption is pragmatic. Our collective behavior over the last quarter century suggests that, despite the fact that we know we should sharply reduce CO2 emissions, efforts to do so are likely to fail. Greenhouse gas emissions are largely a by-product of energy. Energy consumption rises as living standards go up. Therefore, absent the invention of the perpetual motion machine or the dismantling of the capitalist system, greenhouse gas emissions are generally viewed as rising monotonically as societies get richer. That failure to arrest the growth in CO2 emissions over the last 25 years is grounded in the fact that cutting emissions requires sacrificing an individual benefit now for a collective benefit later. We're just not wired that way. Accordingly, most discussion on climate change focuses either on the planet's capacity to absorb emissions or our ability to withstand the consequences of the planet's lack of capacity. Either the extinction of a wide swath of species — including potentially our own — is inevitable; or it’s a hoax. It's China's fault. Or it's the Rich World's fault. Or it's the fault of Big Oil. Or it (the scaremongering) is the fault of the liberal media and academics. 'Dems your choices. This Blackbook makes no contribution to that debate. We simply have no view. Our focus is entirely on the supply side of the equation. The reason we have no view of the typical climate change discussion is a simple one: any debate on climate change that continues to link economic growth, energy intensity and greenhouse gas emissions is outdated. Accordingly, most debate about climate change is either irrelevant or simply political theater. In short, climate change isn't going to happen. This is not because the science is wrong (although, as sell-side analysts, how would we know?). The reason climate change isn't going to happen is that the amount of CO2 the world produces is about to plunge. At the margin, thanks to solar, energy storage and other innovations, energy is now a technology. These technologies have a fraction of the greenhouse gas intensity (emissions per unit of energy) of fossil fuels. Over the course of the next two decades, these marginal sources of energy supply will become mainstream. Fossil fuel usage will fall, slowly at first, as it is doing in developed markets currently, and then quickly over time. The linkage between economic development and fossil fuel usage is collapsing and CO2 emissions from fossil fuels will start to decline (by the end of this decade) and, over coming decades, will asymptote to zero. A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE EXTINCTION OF THE SPECIES 14
  • 15.
    HOW CERES ISHELPING TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL ECONOMY Ceres’ advocacy in corporate boardrooms and on Capitol Hill alike has had a profound and lasting impact over 25 years. Today, capital market leaders—from Wall Street icons to heads of state—are stepping up to help create a more sustainable global economy building on the groundwork laid by Ceres. We’ve made stronger corporate disclosure of environmental and sustainability risks a mainstream practice. Ceres launched the Global Reporting Initiative in 1997, which is now the de facto standard for corporate sustainability disclosure used by 6,000 companies globally. disclosure standard in 2010, requiring climate risk disclosure by all U.S. public companies. Introduced by Ceres in 2002, the term “climate risk” is and is seen as on Climate Risk has grown to more than 115 investors with $13 trillion in assets. Many INCR members are setting goals to boost their clean energy investments. They’re calling on the world’s largest oil and coal companies to shift capital shareholder resolutions, they’ve persuaded hundreds of commitments, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, power plants. Through the Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability, our blueprint for corporate sustainability, Ceres has helped Ford—integrate sustainability across their operations and increased use of renewable energy. Ceres mobilized dozens of company and investor leaders to voice strong support, and to issue their own pollution cutting commitments, to help achieve a historic international climate agreement in Paris in December 2015. In advance of the COP21 negotiations, Ceres coordinated supportive statements from major U.S. banks, food & beverage companies, global apparel Ceres organized 365 companies and investors to back the EPA Clean Power Plan (CPP), including writing letters to governors to urge its timely implementation. The CPP U.S. power plants, the single largest source of global warming pollution in the U.S. Ceres mobilized its investor and business networks to support aggressive mileage targets for cars and trucks sold in America—and average of 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025—and state Renewable Portfolio Standards and other clean energy policies to accelerate adoption cornerstones of the U.S. contribution to the international climate agreement reached in Paris and are the largest carbon-pollution-reduction measures the U.S. has taken to date. Ceres is mobilizing investors and companies, including major utilities, to continue supporting, and opposing efforts to undo, both state level clean energy policies and the EPA’s Clean Power Plan (CPP). We’re advocating for widespread adoption of sustainability reporting requirements by stock exchanges globally. Following COP21, Ceres and INCR are working to scale investor and corporate clean energy commitments from billions of dollars a year collectively to trillions of dollars a year collectively, starting with the Investor Summit on Climate Risk at the UN in January 2016. We’re securing stronger climate and energy policies We’re transforming business and investment practices www.ceres.org 99 Chauncy Street · 6th Floor · Boston MA 02111 · Tel 617.247.0700 · Fax 617.267.5400 · Twitter:@ceresnews · www.facebook.com/ceres.org Ceres’ unique strategies over more than 25 years are making a big difference in moving us towards our vision of a sustainable global economy. Now we need bigger, bolder action—such as universal company and investor adoption of sustainable practices, and stepped up global action to achieve carbon limits and the Clean Trillion— to turn our vision into reality. 15
  • 16.
    Category Carbon Exposure SmarterMoney Review Special Edition:Top 10 Smartest Reports on the Intersection of Climate Change and Finance 16
  • 17.
  • 18.
    CARBON ASSET RISK:FROM RHETORIC TO ACTION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Energy Transition is underway - more haste is needed! In the past few years, carbon asset risk (CAR) has gone from a fringe topic discussed primarily by NGOs to a serious consideration of some of the largest companies in the world. Recent market action, to pushing CAR into the public attention.1 This report discusses some of the most important recent management. The report follows the basic structure of the recently released UNEP FI/WRI CAR Framework, a multi-stakeholder and multiyear process to develop a common terminology and language carbon-intensive companies are exposed to (“operator carbon risk”) from the risk that is passed on to lenders and investors with a stake in these companies (“carbon asset risk”). Exposure and risk evaluation have to be done at the asset level by companies (operators of those assets) and at the had over 200 participants in the webinar launch of its Framework. This report now looks at the evidence for action by operators (disclosure) and investors (divestment market volatility, a primary risk factor in the CAR framework, may be contributing to such action. It focuses on evidence of action in four spheres: market action, corporate disclosure and engagement, and direct investor action (divestment and portfolio exposure and stress testing). We conclude that these developments are beginning to show progress in terms of action in an energy transition that now seems well underway. There is still a long way to go. • Market Action: the past year has essentially applied a “stress test” through energy commodity prices of a magnitude no one could have foreseen a year ago – spot oil prices around $40bbl and seaborne coal prices of $50t. While these are only spot and not the expectations for the next 20 years they show the dynamics at work in CAR evaluation. The key issue is what drove these price declines. Short-term cyclical forces and geopolitics are two obvious drivers. However, we also point to the following key themes that are part of the long- term CAR thesis in terms of: - Regulatory and technology forces in coal markets: a number of increasing demand.2 Combined with technology changes in gas and renewable energy markets, these trends have led to a fall in US coal demand (impacting share markets) and signs of a peaking in Chinese coal demand.3 1 Indeed, one recent survey quoted the corporate secretary of an energy company as opining that the engagement process “had ‘transformed the corporate secretary’s 18
  • 19.
    WWW.CERES.ORG - Acknowledgement ofcarbon constraints and a rush of cheap supply in oil markets: the Saudi Oil Minister has acknowledged that by 2050 the need for fossil supply from low cost producers to markets, crashing the oil price.4 - In Europe and the U.S. utilities have been highly disrupted. Analysts have been concerned with the “utility death spiral” for companies in both regulated and restructured markets because the companies generally have not anticipated or adapted their business models to several factors: a combination of policies that support energy markets. Investors should be concerned that companies failed to predict or - At least $200bn in capital expenditures, primarily oil & gas projects, has been deferred or cancelled over the past year. Most recently, Shell announced that its $7-9 billion in capital expenditures chasing Arctic oil was unsuccessful, highlighting the danger of wasted capital for projects with high break-evens and long time frames for development.5 - Major Oil companies including BP, Shell, BG, Eni, Statoil, and Total have called for a global carbon price. - Market Analysts Views Are Evolving: The number of comments and papers focusing on CAR related issues has rapidly increased in the last year. We catalogue these papers by sell side, buy side, and ratings agencies. • Engaging with Operator/Corporate Risk Management: much of the focus by investors and NGOs has been on how the operators of carbon assets are managing risk. Engagement is generally obvious in the fossil fuel and utilities sector – but a deeper consideration of how the operator stress tests the various possibilities in an Energy transition (e.g. a 2°C policy outcome). - Proxy voting has been a key area for investors to press for more information from operators.6 Our data shows that a majority of investors supported proxy access resolutions at 23 out of 33 fossil fuel companies despite company opposition.7 There is ample evidence to support that under investor pressure, operators are addressing CAR in formal disclosure and informal have begun to consider the potential of a 2D scenario internally but that 19
  • 20.
    CARBON ASSET RISK:FROM RHETORIC TO ACTION only a handful such as Conoco, Statoil, and BHP Billiton have publicly details, especially on capital expenditures.8 There is a general tendency to dismiss strong policy action and expect an extended energy transition beyond a 2D climate pathway. - It is notable that the Governor of the Bank Of England has also pointed to climate and carbon risks and the need for disclosure to assess the potential .9 lacks completeness in a risk management framework. - Engagement can also take the form of direct dialogue with operators and business planning and models. This is frequently private in nature. - One regulatory initiative of particular note is article 173 of the French Energy Transition law, which requires both companies and investors to disclose on CAR issues. • Direct Investor Portfolio action: investors can also manage CAR directly at their own portfolio level, integrating some of the results of engagement. Most actions are mandate- dependent. That is, asset owners and asset managers have to follow the set out mandates ranging from ethical to passive to active. - Divestment is the most extreme form of portfolio action and can have . The divestment by the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund of coal companies deriving above 30% of revenue potentially leaves 122 companies to be sold. There are nearly 400 investing institutions claiming some degree of disinvestment, led by foundations and NGOs, faith-based investors, - This has produced vocal responses from the fossil fuel industry. While there is an economic case that disinvestment does not ultimately starve companies of capital, Peabody has pointed to the possibility of adverse business impacts in its disclosures. - Investors can use quantitative methods for testing exposure (carbon footprinting and stress testing portfolios for substantial carbon constraints) and evidence suggests this currently rare practice is growing. A small percentage of the large asset owner industry currently do this—around 60 Pledge, for instance—and there is substantial disagreement on whether current market 20
  • 21.
    WWW.CERES.ORG - services in thisarea, mostly with respect to screening using carbon footprinting approaches. A growing number of tools are going beyond cross- sectional analysis to include explicit scenario-based stress testing. However, currently “bottom-up” security-level tools are likely too complex for most investors to use directly, and “top-down” portfolio tools lack the security-level detail needed for stock- picking. - At an integrated Portfolio level Mercer have launched a top down model . Mercer has seen more than 3000 downloads of their document setting out the high level results the overall portfolio level when the trends are addressed proactively. By the Numbers 2014-15 Proxy Access • Shareholder Control: Proxy access in U.S. for right to nominate directors focused on climate. 23 of 33 resolutions at fossil fuel companies and utilities gain majority vote. Proxies Votes US Proxies Votes Europe Divestment • 397 Institutions divested in some form Financial research ratings agencies). Company Action • 3 fossil fuel majors support 2D scenario analysis (ConocoPhillips, Statoil, and BHP Billiton). • 6 oil majors call for global carbon pricing (Eni, Statoil, Shell, BP, Total, BG Group). • 2 oil majors leave ALEC (BP, Shell) • 4 oil majors defer Arctic drilling (Chevron, BP, Statoil, Shell) • 2 oil majors invest in renewable energy (Total and Statoil) • 8 oil majors announce plan to engage in climate policy. 21
  • 22.
    CDP Climate ChangeReport 2015: The mainstreaming of low-carbon on Wall Street US edition based on the S&P 500 Index Written on behalf 822 of investors with US$95 trillion in assets CDP Report | November 2015 22
  • 23.
    Executive summary The giantsof Wall Street are becoming catalysts for climate action. New stock indexes, funds, bond ratings and investing tools are revealing and removing emissions risk from mainstream financial products, enabling investors to buy into low-carbon opportunities without lowering returns. Pension funds, endowments, and other asset owners are asking their advisors to help channel their capital to mitigate rather than contribute to climate change. The new actions put companies on notice that their credit ratings and continued inclusion in mainstream portfolios of pension, insurance and mutual funds will soon depend on outperforming their peers in environmental as well as financial terms. CDP led this shift, harnessing the power of investors now representing one-third of the world’s assets under management. In 2000, when CDP first asked investors to sign its disclosure request to companies, most fund directors were indifferent to climate change issues. Since then, CDP has won the support of financial giants including Bank of America Merrill Lynch, BlackRock, BNY Mellon, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, J.P. Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Nomura, Santander, UBS, and Wells Fargo. Increasing scrutiny by investors regarding environmental performance is reflected in company responses to CDP. In this report, we note dramatic shifts in corporate behavior among S&P 500 companies over the past five years: ^^ Board level responsibility for climate change has jumped from 67% to 95% from 2010 and 2015 ^^ Incentives for staff that help companies meet energy efficiency or carbon pollution reduction targets has risen from 49% to 83% between 2010 and 2015 ^^ Companies actively working to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions have increased from 52% to 96%. CDP’s platform of data, scores and rankings feeds into the new tools, products and research that have been helping low-carbon investing to go mainstream. These financial products are based on sophisticated analytical tools that calculate the carbon footprint of a company, an index or a mutual fund, and include estimates for non-disclosing companies. Research showing that the best companies on climate are often the most profitable overall is challenging the long-held view that investing according to environmental principles lowers returns. The first generation of low-carbon products excluded fossil fuel companies and carbon-intensive energy companies such as utilities, but increased the risk of veering off of their benchmark index, or failing to capture big swings in energy prices. A second generation of indexes went on to include more shares of the most energy efficient companies and reduce their holdings of the least efficient, and manage to match the full returns and risk of a benchmark index. Now, Wall Street has opened a new chapter in climate- based investing, turning the tools designed to create green products toward mainstream stock indexes, corporate bond ratings, and ordinary mutual funds. The headlines from recent months, reproduced in this report, show that America’s largest asset managers, index providers and ratings agencies are moving quickly to build out their environmental, social and governance (ESG) offerings. Low-carbon products already were an important business segment at the start of 2014, with nearly $3tn of assets held in 672 environmental investment vehicles, according to the Sustainable Investment Forum of the US. 23
  • 24.
    Asset managers heraldedthe US Labor Department, which issued new guidance for pension plans and retirement funds allowing their trustees to choose among plans based on ESG factors. This move opens the door for U.S. pension funds to follow their European counterparts, who have championed sustainable investing for many years. The mainstreaming of sustainable investing parallels dramatic changes in US corporate culture. Will investors now lead the change we need to meet scientific targets to reduce carbon pollution? This report crystalizes the movement among blue-chip investors to address climate risks and opportunities, and includes interviews with some of Wall Street’s largest firms. It also includes CDP’s annual list of S&P 500 leaders on both transparency and climate performance, as well as the list of companies failing to provide disclosures to their investors. “Over the last two years, ESG has become more central to our clients, and they would like our help in finding a way do it that is robust and rigorous from an investment perspective. Climate change is clearly on people’s minds.” said Hugh Lawson, head of ESG at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. T Rowe Price stated in its disclosure to CDP that: “With regard to climate change, we have observed that a growing number of our clients have adopted investment objectives that expand beyond traditional expectations of relative financial performance... For example, some clients define their investment objectives in terms of relative carbon efficiency of the portfolio. In order to meet this growing need within our client population, we have made significant investments in internal expertise, external resources, training, and technology.” CDP has asked companies to clearly describe the risks and opportunities climate change presents to their business for 15 years. The resulting disclosures to investors look set to become more relevant than ever and have helped enable the creation of a variety of financial products including State Street’s LOWC: the first low-carbon exchange-traded fund (ETF) and BlackRock’s iShares CRBN exchange-traded funds. Standard & Poor’s and MSCI are also fuelling the low-carbon shift on Wall Street as they work to design new low-carbon indexes to provide sophisticated and nuanced ways to screen out and screen in companies based on environmental performance. “You can’t address something you can’t quantify, therefore carbon data are paramount,” said Mamadou- Abou Sarr, Northern Trust’s managing director of ESG investing. “CDP has been key for Wall Street getting data and integrating it into their processes, and the role of disclosure is crucial, whether it’s for awareness or risk assessment or for investment decisions.” Elizabeth McGeveran, director of Impact Investing at McKnight, noted that the “microactions” of hundreds of investors signing CDP’s disclosure request led to the data that forms the basis of Mellon’s carbon efficient strategy. “The micro-actions of a number of investors enabled Mellon Capital to take a “macro-action,” she said. CDP’s executive chairman and co-founder Paul Dickinson says: “The influence of the corporation is mighty. The momentum of business action on climate change suggests we have reached a tipping point, where companies are poised to achieve their full potential. They need ambitious policy at both a national and international level that will support them in this regard and will catalyze participation from industry at scale.” Meg Whitman, President and CEO at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, formerly Hewlett-Packard, which has achieved top marks for both performance and transparency for the second year in a row, says: “We must take swift and bold action to address the root causes of climate change. This means disrupting the status quo—changing the way we do business, holding ourselves and others accountable, and creating innovative solutions that drive a low-carbon economy.” CDP’s president for North America, Lance Pierce says: “The businesses that provide the goods and services Americans use every day know that linking action on climate change to company performance is the new normal. Companies’ investors and customers are demanding products and performance with less carbon, and by incentivizing staff to meet these needs, corporate America is starting to embed this issue into how the company makes decisions”. 24
  • 25.
    SOLUTIONS Encourage Capital isa new kind of investment firm that seeks to change the way investment capital is used to solve critical environmental and social problems. We are building a community of investors, foundations, market-leading companies and non-profits to deploy private capital into systemic solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. We believe we can generate both compelling investment returns and social and environmental impacts for our investors. WE INVEST IN Join us: www.encouragecapital.com Ph: 212-974-0111 25
  • 26.
    Category Climate Exposure SmarterMoney Review Special Edition:Top 10 Smartest Reports on the Intersection of Climate Change and Finance 26
  • 27.
    Action on Climate: APractical Guide for Fiduciaries Capital Stewardship Program “I think it’s the existential threat of our day. Once you see it as having catastrophic impact, any economic argument follows that, because you’re not going to have an economy.” — Robert E. Rubin, Former Treasury Secretary “Climate change is a ‘threat multiplier’…because it has the potential to exacerbate many of the challenges we already confront today – from infectious disease to armed insurgencies – and to produce new challenges in the future. “ — Chuck Hagel, Former Defense Secretary 27
  • 28.
    Action on Climate:A Practical Guide for Fiduciaries • 6 Introduction and context Action on Climate: A Practical Guide for Fiduciaries • 6 Over the last three decades, people and governments around the world have recognized climate change as an issue of increasing urgency. Increases in large storms, droughts and other problems have already been linked to climate change. Consensus has emerged that substantially stronger action is required to slow human-induced climate change and mitigate its effects. To date, however, and despite the urgency, actions taken to mitigate climate change and prepare for its consequences have been limited. In recent years, investors have been both the objects of climate advocacy and important stakeholders wrestling with how climate change should affect their investment strategies. Advocates insist that investors need to account for their contributions to climate change, and to prepare for a necessary shift to a low-carbon economy, which will transform investment portfolios. Founded by student organizers at Swarthmore College in 2011, the fossil fuel divestment campaign began by targeting university endowments and has now gained national momentum. This advocacy has extended to foundation endowments, retail investors and pension funds.1 Investors of all kinds are facing substantial demands from stakeholders to address investments in the largest coal, oil and gas companies. Some high-profile investors have responded to these calls: Stanford University has divested its endowment from direct holdings in coal companies, Yale University has engaged its money managers on climate risk and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund announced its plan to divest from all fossil fuels in September 2014.2 Advocacy has pushed an even larger set of investors to address climate change and its potential consequences more actively, even if they do not choose divestment as a solution. Institutional investors – perhaps because of their need and capacity to manage portfolios over longer time horizons for multiple generations of beneficiaries – have taken the lead in exploring how to recognize the possible effects of climate change across entire investment portfolios. They are looking for ways to protect portfolios from risks associated with climate change, from the policy risks associated with carbon pricing to the physical risks associated with changing weather patterns and intensity. And they are exploring new investment opportunities likely to emerge from a transition to a sustainable and low-carbon economy. But investors can also struggle to integrate a long-term macro-trend, like the systemic effects of climate change, into their existing investment strategies. Day-to-day challenges of portfolio management can 28
  • 29.
    Ac ti onon C limate : A Prac t i ca l G u i d e f o r F i duc i a ri e s make it hard to take on long-term issues, no matter how important these may be. Due to funding concerns and managing current volatility in the capital markets, defined benefit pension plans can find climate risk a daunting challenge. This is especially true for those under-resourced in climate and other ESG areas. Large investors like Stanford University (with a $21.5 billion endowment and dozens of employees dedicated to endowment management) have the advantage of substantial resources at their disposal to examine the effects of climate change on their investments. Unlike these investors, small- and medium- sized endowments, pension funds, and foundations do not have large internal staff teams. These institutional investors may have outsourced their investment management entirely, or have one or two internal team members. They face particular challenges implementing climate change strategies while respecting fiduciary responsibility and investment strategy, but the long-term issues that arise from climate change will affect them too, and their beneficiaries and stakeholders are raising the issue on campus lawns and at quarterly meetings. If you are one of these investors, this toolkit is for you – an investor concerned about the future of your fund and the future of the world, or a pension plan fiduciary whose overriding focus is the financial interests of your beneficiaries and the long-term interest of your plan. This toolkit will help you take climate change into consideration with your fund while respecting concerns about fiduciary duty and investment performance. How to use this toolkit This toolkit is intended to help investors examine climate change from different angles. It explores various interconnected approaches: integrating climate change into your investments, reducing your portfolio’s carbon intensity, investing in climate solutions, divestment, engaging with corporations, and engaging with policymakers. Each tactic has its advantages and disadvantages. Not all of them will be right for every investor. The aim here is not to advocate a particular approach; it is to support you in making decisions that make sense for your fund and institution. At the core of this toolkit are: • A decision-making process you can customize for your fund, including how to work with consultants, managers, and legal counsel • An implementation guide for your strategy To support you in these processes, we provide information on: • The science and impacts of climate change • The financial implications of climate change • Fiduciary duty and climate change 29
  • 30.
    Ac ti onon C limate : A Prac t i ca l G u i d e f o r F i duc i a ri e s • The impacts of climate change on workers and communities • Available actions and examples of what peer investors are doing For each of these you can find a high-level summary in the main part of the toolkit, with more detail in appendices. A governance approach The overall path we suggest an investor follow is set out in the chart below. We take a governance approach. This outlines steps to follow and questions to ask, while taking account of the resources available to the investor – in terms of time, knowledge, and people. Throughout the process, ensuring that you act in accordance with fiduciary duty remains crucial. Governance: time, knowledge, people Familiarize yourself with the science and the financial implications of climate change Find out what actions are possible and what peers are doing Guided process to select actions that are right for your fund Guided process to implement your strategy Governance: processes Work with your consultant and managers Fiduciary duty – work with your legal counsel 30
  • 31.
    IMPACT CAPITALISM TRAIN STOPTOURwww.impactcapitalismtour.com CONSCIOUS COMPANY MAGAZINE Supporters Presented by SOUTH EAST PACIFIC NORTHWEST Seattle-Portland-Vancouver Nov 3-5, 2015 CALIFORNIA San Diego-Palo Alto Feb 10-11, 2016 TEXAS Dallas-Houston-Austin Atlanta-Charlotte- Raleigh/Durham EAST COAST Philadelphia-D.C.- Charlottesville MAKING IMPACT INVESTING LOCAL 31
  • 32.
    An  opportunity  for invited institutional  investors,  family  offices,   investment  advisors,  foundations  to  meet  impact  and  sustainable  funds   The event profiles five investment funds with differentiated criteria to Family Offices, Foundations, Institutional Investors and Advisers. Funds are selected based on multiple criteria including: management team, track record, and investment strategy. This event showcases innovative fund managers in the diverse sectors. The event is structured to include group presentations and one-on-one meetings to maximize attendees ability to interact with the fund managers. There is no fee for attendees. “I am impressed with the diversity of the investment strategies representing everything from impact investing to sustainability all in a half day. Very efficient and informative to see what is happening across the spectrum of sustainability.” - Family Office ” I haven’t seen a better set of fund managers present in one venue. Well worth the time!” - Family Office Register at www.bigpathcapital.com/events/five-fund-forum “It’s rare to see so many high quality investment opportunities during a single event.” - Investment Advisor About The primary purpose of this event is to introduce persons who are also qualified accredited investors to U.S. impact and sustainable funds. There will be no solicitation to purchase securities or offer to purchase securities at this event. If an attendee decides to invest in a fund subsequent to the event, the attendee does so at its own risk. Attendees acknowledge that they, in conjunction with their lawyers, accountants, and advisers, must perform their own due diligence with respect to any decision to subsequently invest in any presenter and are not relying on any representations by Big Path Capital, LLC or Intellivest Securities, Inc. as to the suitability of any particular investment or that any due diligence has been performed on presenters. Presenters have paid a fee to Big Path Capital, LLC to appear at this event. Minneapolis March 16 New York March 15 San Francisco March 18 Presented by New York, Minneapolis, Seattle, San Francisco March 15-18, 2016 XVIII Seattle March 17 32
  • 33.
    FROM BOOM TOBUST? CLIMATE RISK IN THE GOLDEN STATE April 2015 33
  • 34.
    California is themost populous state in the United States and the world’s eighth—soon to be seventh— largest economy. It’s also a microcosm of the nation’s diverse economy and geography. With a wealth of nat- ural resources, California leads the U.S. in agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism and is a major international exporter. From high-tech to Hollywood, California is a hub of innovation that supports cutting edge industries and leading multinational companies. For decades, the state has led the way on new economic growth mod- els, new technologies, and creative solutions to policy challenges. Today, California faces a new set of challenges and opportunities in the form of climate change. The state’s vast and varied topography—from the Redwood Coast to the fertile Central Valley, and from the Mojave Desert to the Sierra Nevadas—provides a glimpse into the sig- nificant and varied risks the state faces if we stay on our current climate course. Along the coast, rising sea-levels will likely put billions of dollars of property and infrastructure at risk. Further inland, increasingly warm and dry conditions threaten the productivity of one of the richest agricultural regions in the world. Eastern California, a haven for natural recreation and tourism, will be permanently marked by warming temperatures and shifting precipitation pat- terns. And across the state, extreme heat will fuel large and costly wildfires, endanger water resources, drive up energy costs, exacerbate air pollution, and threaten human health. The mission of the Risky Business Project is to quantify the economic risks to the United States from unmiti- gated climate change. Our inaugural report, Risky Busi- ness: The Economic Risks of Climate Change in the United States, highlighted these risks across every region of the country, with a focus on three sectors: agriculture, energy demand, and coastal infrastructure. We also looked at overarching issues such as changes in labor productivity and heat-related mortality. This follow-up report focuses on California and explores some of the likely economic consequences to the state of continuing on our current greenhouse gas emissions pathway, 1 with no significant new national policy or global action to mitigate climate change. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 34
  • 35.
    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY »» Bymid-century, the San Joaquin Valley, which accounts for more than half of the state’s agricultural output, will likely experience 63 to 85 days over 95°F each year compared to an average of 44 such days per year over the past 30 years. By the end of the century, the number of extremely hot days will likely increase to three to four full months per year. »» Meanwhile, a likely 60% to 90% decline in the annual average number of days below freezing statewide is expected to reduce snowpack, affecting state water supplies along with winter tourism and recreation. • Changes in the timing, amount, and type of precip- itation in California, which could lead to increased drought and flooding and put the reliability of the state’s water supply at risk »» Warming temperatures will cause California to see a shift in precipitation from snow to rain, as well as a change in the timing of snowmelt. »» Most regions in California will likely see a decrease in fall and spring precipitation. The majority of pre- cipitation will continue to fall during the winter, but increasingly more as rain than snow. »» These changes will impact California’s snowpack—a major water reservoir for the state—and affect the freshwater supply for multiple industries and communities. »» California should also expect to see more heavy storms, which could increase the number and sever- ity of floods in parts of the state, and longer dry spells between storms. The risk of drought could increase as well, especially given more extreme temperatures. Our research combines state-of-the-art climate science projections through the year 2100 (and beyond in some cases) with empirically-derived estimates of the impact of projected changes in temperature and precipitation on the California economy. We analyze not only those outcomes most likely to occur, but also lower-proba- bility, higher-cost climate impacts. These “tail risks” are most often expressed here as the 1-in-20 chance events. Our findings show that if we stay on our current global emissions pathway, California will likely face multiple and significant economic risks from climate change. However, if policymakers and business leaders act now to reduce emissions and adapt to a changing climate, we can significantly reduce these risks. Given California’s diverse geography and economy, the risks posed by climate change vary significantly by region. These risks include: • A dramatic increase in extreme heat across the state, especially in the San Joaquin Valley and Inland South regions »» By the end of this century, summers in California will likely be hotter than summers in Texas and Louisiana today, and the average number of extremely hot days each year—with temperatures above 95°F—will likely double or even triple. 35
  • 36.
    »» Changes inprecipitation, combined with rising temperatures, could also have serious consequences for California’s water quality. • Widespread losses of coastal property and infrastruc- ture due to sea-level rise along the California coast »» If we continue on our current path, between $8 bil- lion and $10 billion of existing property in California will likely be underwater by 2050, with an additional $6 billion to $10 billion at risk during high tide. »» By 2100, $19 billion in coastal property will likely be below sea-level, with a 1-in-100 chance of more than $26 billion at risk. »» In San Francisco, mean sea-level will likely rise 0.7 to 1.1 feet by 2050 and 1.8 to 3.3 feet by 2100. Meanwhile, San Diego will likely see sea-levels rise 0.8 to 1.2 feet by 2050 and 1.9 to 3.4 feet by 2100. »» Rising tides could also damage a wide range of infrastructure, including water supply and delivery, energy, and transportation systems. • Shifting agricultural patterns and crop yields, with distinct threats to California’s varied crop mix of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other highly valuable commodities »» In 2012, California produced one-fifth of the nation’s supply of dairy, nearly two-thirds of its fruits and nuts, and over one-third of its vegetables. »» California’s major crops, livestock, and dairy opera- tions face distinct threats from climate-driven tem- perature variation across the state, which could have major repercussions on local and global markets. »» Without significant adaptation by farmers, several regions will likely see yield losses for heat-sensitive commodity crops like cotton and corn, with poten- tially high economic costs. For example, the Inland South region will likely take an economic hit of up to $38 million per year due to cotton yield declines by the end of the century. »» Climate-driven changes in water availability, qual- ity, and timing could have a significant impact on California’s agricultural economy, which is heavily dependent on irrigation. »» Changing climate conditions are expected to increase the spread of invasive pests and plant species and threaten livestock productivity. • Increasing electricity demand combined with reduced system capacity, leading to higher energy costs »» Rising temperatures will likely increase electricity use for residential and commercial cooling, driving up demand across the state. »» Increasing heat, drought, and wildfires will stress California’s electricity infrastructure, decreasing the efficiency of the state’s centralized natural gas and nuclear power plants, jeopardizing hydropower generation, and disrupting transmission. »» Building new capacity to meet additional electricity demand will result in significant increases in energy costs in some parts of the state. The Inland South region will be the hardest hit, with total energy costs likely to increase by up to 8.4% in the short term and as much as 35% by end of century. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 36
  • 37.
    • Higher heat-related mortality,declining labor productivity, and worsened air quality »» California will likely see up to 7,700 additional heat-related deaths per year by late century—more than twice the average number of traffic deaths annually in the state today. »» With 30% of California workers in “high risk” industries that are vulnerable to high temperatures, labor produc- tivity is likely to decline across the state, most notably in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley regions. »» Higher temperatures and more frequent wildfires will exacerbate ozone and particulate pollution in areas that already suffer from poor air quality, worsening respiratory health problems and increas- ing hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and absences from work or school. California is already taking aggressive action to address climate change. By fully understanding the climate risks the state faces if we stay on our current emissions path, California businesses and policymakers have the oppor- tunity to become models of climate risk mitigation and resilience for the nation and the world. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Los Angeles Aqueduct, Lone Pine, California 37
  • 38.
    M E RC E R 2 0 1 5 S U P P O R T E D B Y : In partnership with: H E A LT H W E A LT H C A R E E R I N V E S T I N G I N A T I M E O F C L I M AT E C H A N G E 38
  • 39.
    I N VE S T I N G I N A T I M E O F C L I M AT E C H A N G E K E Y M O T I VAT I O N F O R I N V E S T O R A C T I O N This report’s findings generate four key motivations for investor action on climate risk, spanning short and long-term concerns. These motivations are: 1. Medium-term risk management (years). 2. Medium and long-term opportunities (years). 3. Short-term risk (months). 4. Long-term economic cost of inaction and concerns of beneficial owners (decades). M E D I U M - T E R M R I S K M A N A G E M E N T ( Y E A R S ) Long-term investors generally take a multi-year perspective when setting asset strategy. This is a vital component of investment oversight. Capturing climate change in risk assessments and on the “risk register” will be important for understanding and managing the asset class and industry-sector risks and impacts on return identified in this study. Yet our research suggests that few mainstream investors incorporate a detailed view on the policies that could underpin this change in investment analysis. Investors need to consider their equity asset class and 21 3 4 5 6 7 “Climate change forces investors in the 21st Century to reconsider our understanding of economic and investment risk. This study provides the New York Common Retirement Fund with valuable insights that will inform our efforts to manage climate risk and build out our portfolio in ways that protect and enhance investment returns.” —New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund industry-sector risks by asking questions such as: • Do sector weights across the portfolio reflect anticipated structural change? And is there enough focus on this in our portfolio-construction process? • Can investment managers articulate a clear perspective on the relevance (or otherwise) of climate risks to an investment mandate? • Is engagement employed as a risk management tool, particularly for passive mandates? Real assets, which include real estate, infrastructure, timber, and agriculture investments, are identified in the research as increasingly exposed to the risk of physical damage caused by climate change. These assets are typically held for over 10 years, yet few large investors with significant real-asset exposure are assessing or managing these risks at the portfolio level. A key question is: • Can we undertake a total-portfolio risk assessment (including all real asset holdings) to identify exposure to potential physical damage risk under different climate scenarios? 39
  • 40.
    M E RC E R 2 0 1 5 M E D I U M A N D LO N G - T E R M O P P O R T U N I T I E S ( Y E A R S ) Forecasting the future is inherently difficult — no one can predict which scenario will unfold, or how the industry weightings of stock-market indices will evolve. Under the climate scenarios explored in this study, there are potential “first mover” advantages in some asset classes and lower-carbon industry sectors, such as renewable energy, green building materials, and sustainable transport. To capture medium-term opportunities, investors need to ask: • Which asset classes are positioned to benefit from future opportunities? • What active and passive equity products exist to tilt towards these sources of growth? • How can attractive industry sectors be accessed through each asset class, and particularly in private markets? S H O R T - T E R M R I S K ( M O N T H S ) Although our study has not focused on anticipating significant short-term volatility driven by unanticipated climate risks, one scenario does anticipate swift policy action on climate in the near term. This is expected to be an increasing cost on carbon, designed to reduce emissions and limit temperature increases. This increasing cost on carbon could erode expected gains in some sectors and produce annual losses. In considering this or other scenarios which may unfold, investors need to ask: • What if climate change related policies are introduced at a level or within a timeframe unanticipated by the market, either globally or in regional blocks? Might this lead to a broad market correction, or could certain assets be left “stranded”? • Could fossil-fuel subsidies be removed? Would this put major investments at risk? • How quickly could the portfolio be repositioned if required, and what options exist today to hedge against future uncertainty? LO N G - T E R M C O S T O F I N A C T I O N A N D C O N C E R N S O F B E N E F I C I A R I E S ( D E C A D E S ) This study uses a 35-year timeframe to explore the potential impacts of climate risk, but the most significant physical impacts resulting from climate change will be felt after 2050. This is an example of a long- term downside risk that markets struggle to address. However, others with strategic focus are not ignoring this risk: US and UK reports suggest that climate change is likely to create strategic military risks as the physical impacts amplify fragile social and economic conditions (for example, by reducing access to vital resources such as water or food). There is strong evidence that, if we follow our current trajectory, there will be a high risk of irreversible and severe impacts across the globe. Looking to 2100 and beyond sharpens the focus on whether to mitigate now, or to adapt later at potentially significantly greater cost. Refer to Appendix 2 for more on the 2100 timeframe. Although adopting a long-term perspective is challenging in practice, it is not impossible. Investors need to ask: • As a long-term investor, how long is my time horizon? • Do we feel sufficiently knowledgeable about this topic? What are our investment beliefs? • Do we have the governance framework to focus on strategically important long- term issues? • What are the views of beneficiaries and clients? • As asset owners, should we be more visible in calling for strong climate action by policymakers? M A K E T O M O R R O W , T O D AY Investors face a number of barriers to action on climate change. It is a challenge to take a long-term view in the context of an increasingly short-term market environment; boards and investment committees face a range of competing priorities, and the average investor has little familiarity with climate-related risks. Yet the investor implications of climate risk warrant a change in behaviour. This study provides investors with evidence of the likely impact on their portfolios of a range of relevant climate change scenarios, along with practical suggestions for mitigating and managing their exposure. In doing so, it contributes to the rapidly evolving knowledge and tools that are available to the investment industry to understand and manage climate risk. It is now up to investors to evolve — taking a  prudent view of risk demands it. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 40
  • 41.
    How the energysector is missing potential demand destruction Initiative arbon Tracker October 2015 Lost In Transition: How The Energy Sector Is Missing Potential Demand Destruction. Demand destruction = climate security The majority of the world’s fossil fuel suppliers appear to be betting on demand for their product continuing to grow as per business as usual (BAU). The direction of travel we see from the worlds of policy and technology is for destruction of fossil fuel demand. This paper is designed to explore the downside for fossil fuel producers and understand why the reality of our future may differ from the scenarios published by the energy industry. This in turn provides optimism that the world can deliver a low emissions trajectory. It is clear that the world will need to deviate from BAU if we are to prevent dangerous levels of climate change. Will the future repeat the past? Scenarios are used to help people understand different futures and identify blind spots in their current assumptions about what might transpire. Many suffer from ‘straight-line’ syndrome, where historical trends or energy mixes are extrapolated into the future over long periods. This can lead to a built-in assumption that the future will repeat the past – something that does not match-up with either preventing climate change or adapting to it. Scenarios struggle to consider non- linear change The risk of ‘straight-line syndrome’ hints at the biggest remaining energy modelling challenge, which is to understand system transformations, i.e. dramatic changes in policy or technology which cause non-linear change in trends. This is much more challenging to model or predict, but it is these kind of events which will have the biggest impact on a sector. These scenarios often justify investment in additional fossil fuel supply Investments in future fossil fuel supply are predicated on an assumption of future demand that is often presented in or informed by corporate energy scenarios. However, while many energy companies have established scenario teams, the full range of outcomes they consider is not necessarily presented publicly or to the investor community. This could change amid increasing focus on fossil fuel company scenarios as investors engage more around carbon asset risk and future capital investment plans (See also our partners Ceres, IIGCC, LAPFF, CIG, ShareAction and Client Earth on Carbon Asset Risk and ‘Aiming for A’). The scenarios produced Executive Summary 41
  • 42.
    www.carbontracker.org by the IEAand US EIA need to be placed under similar scrutiny given the amount they are referenced by the fossil fuel industry, which often results in the cherry-picking of scenarios and the views of these organisations echoing and reinforcing each other. Track record isn’t great Another reason for reviewing the scenarios and assumptions underpinning energy industry plans is that their track record of getting it right is not that strong. This is not to say that energy sector projections are easy - however with hindsight it is evident that organisations such as the IEA are consistently behind the curve in their projections of renewables costs and deployment, for example. Figure A shows how IEA forecasts since 2000 have been far off the mark in predicting today’s levels of solar generation, let alone looking further into the future. “The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates in its World Energy Outlook 2014, Current Policies Scenario, that worldwide primary energy demand will grow 50% between 2012 and 2040. Demand for coal during this time period is projected to rise 51%, and the growth in global electricity generation from coal is expected to be greater than the growth in oil, natural gas, nuclear and solar combined.”- Peabody Energy Annual Report 20141 Figure A: IEA solar PV capacity forecasts against actual Risk assessment This report only focuses on the downside demand potential for fossil fuels because it is our contention that current base case energy scenarios are at the bullish end of the range of potential fossil fuel demand outcomes. In terms of understanding risks, it is therefore necessary to focus on the extent to which these scenarios are potentially underestimating the pace and scale of the transformation of the energy sector. We would note we are only using the opposite ends of the ranges of projections from industry, analyst or government sources to test the potential for change. There are a range of even more aggressive scenarios from environmental organisations which would push the boundaries even further. Lost In Transition: How The Energy Sector Is Missing Potential Demand Destruction. 42
  • 43.
    www.carbontracker.org Changing system dynamics Atthe highest level there have traditionally been three fundamental factors in energy demand: population, economic activity these three demand factors and what this could mean for fossil fuel demand. We follow this with a downside examination of the potential carbon intensity of energy supplied to meet this demand, i.e. the mix of fossil fuels and low-carbon technologies. From these components we calculate the extent to which global CO2 emissions could be lower if these alternative downside futures transpire rather than an average industry expectation. We do this using the Kaya Identity: The Kaya identity is an economic model that tries to bring the factors together in a simplistic way. While it may not be able to capture the full complexity or inter-connectedness, it provides a useful means of understanding the key energy drivers of CO2 emissions. As Figure B shows, the structure of this report works through elements that contribute to determining the Kaya Identity equation and stress-tests the impact on fossil fuel demand if each ratio disappoints on the downside. This ranges across the Assumption 1: Global population will increase to 9 billion by 2040 Assumption 2: Global GDP maintains recent growth rates to 2040 Assumption 3: Reductions in the energy intensity of GDP slow markedly Assumptions 4-9: Carbon intensity of energy remains high as fossil fuels maintain share Conclusion: Calculating downside CO2 emissions with the Kaya Identity Figure B: This report is structured around the Kaya Identity Population GDP per capita Energy Intensity Carbon Intensity Carbon Emissions Boston | London | Los Angeles | New York | San Diego | San Francisco | Stamford | Washington www.mintz.com Helping Energy Innovators Succeed Financing | Project Development | Government Relations | Patent Protection | Acquisitions Mintz Levin has been representing energy technology leaders and investors since the earliest days of the industry. Our passion is helping companies achieve their goals, and since 2006 we’ve helped hundreds of clients close more than $7 billion in transactions to help them on their way.We believe that impact investing is important to this industry. Contact Mintz Levin for cutting-edge advice and guidance. Tom Burton, Chair, Energy Technology Practice | 617.348.3097 | [email protected] | EnergyTechMatters.com | @TomBurtonIII Sahir Surmeli, Co-chair, Energy Technology Practice | 617.348.3013 | [email protected] | EnergyTechMatters.com | @EnergyCleanTech 43
  • 44.
    Risks and Opportunities Fromthe Changing Climate Playbook for the Truly Long-Term Investor 2015 44
  • 45.
    Executive Summary  Giventhe interconnected and systemic nature of climate risks, investors will find it difficult to predict and precisely manage every potential impact on portfolios. However, we have identified four approaches investors can take to better understand and manage these risks: (1) engagement through delegation to managers, asking them to consider incorporating climate risks; (2) engage- ment through advocating for more transparency and reporting on climate risk metrics, while overlaying a climate risk lens to the due diligence and moni- toring process; (3) proactive hedging via low-carbon index products, derivatives, or use of active managers that employ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics; and (4) policy-level exclusion of fossil fuel and other sectors. Not all these themes are appropriate for all investors, and some will pursue none or only a few of them. But considering the options will enable long-term inves- tors concerned about climate risks to craft their own strategy reflecting their views and objectives.  Beyond defense, investors should consider proactive, solution-oriented strategies to capitalize on investment opportunities linked to climate change. Our basic thesis is that the more challenging the problem, the greater the opportunity set for innovations, solutions, and, ultimately, attractive investment returns. We identify five current themes: renewable infrastruc- ture, clean transportation, smart energy, energy efficiency in buildings, and water and agricultural efficiency. Attractive  Considering climate factors is an economic risk management and opportunity capitalization issue core to prudent investing for the long term. As a possible systemic driver of more frequent and/or severe weather events over the coming decades, climate change—defined as the long-term evolution of global and regional weather patterns driven by the rising level of greenhouse gas emissions— has the potential to materially impact businesses, economic assets, and communities. Potential impacts include direct effects on real property and supply chains, economic consequences from policy and regulatory responses to climate change, and/or indirect effects on financial markets at a global scale through the heightening of broader uncertainty and risk aversion.  As part of incorporating climate risk into long-term investment decision- making, investors should consider whether and how to stay ahead of the climate risk curve to preserve value in their portfolios (“defense”), as well as whether and how to position themselves to capitalize on investment opportuni- ties arising from technological advances, business model innovations, and policy evolution (“offense”). For many, the first step is not necessarily making immediate portfolio changes, but rather asking key questions to establish guideposts today to arrive at better decisions tomorrow. 45
  • 46.
    Executive Summary risk/return profilesexist in select areas within the broader “resource efficiency” arena. The themes discussed and the various approaches to access them are neither all-inclusive nor static, as new themes can emerge and existing themes can evolve over time. The objective for truly long-term investors is not only to identify and evaluate the available and accessible investment opportunities today, but also to uncover and capitalize on the opportunities that will present themselves in the future.  Both strong defense and offense are important to manage risks and capi- talize on opportunities associated with climate change. Long-term investors would benefit from properly integrating defense and offense into a cohesive investment strategy aligned with their own views and motivations.  We continue to seek and refine effective approaches to understand and manage risks amplified by climate change, and search for positive returns from capturing the value created by busi- nesses and assets that play a role in the world’s gradual transition to a lower- carbon and more resource-efficient economy. These opportunities are and will continue to be driven by a combina- tion of technological and business model innovations, policy and regulatory shifts, and, perhaps more fundamentally, the human entrepreneurial spirit that is drawn to creating real solutions to large problems. ■ 46
  • 47.
  • 48.
    THE COST OFINACTION: R E C O G N I S I N G T H E V A L U E A T R I S K F R O M C L I M A T E C H A N G E © THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT LIMITED 2015 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The asset management industry—and thus the wider community of investors of all sizes— is facing the prospect of significant losses from the effects of climate change. Assets can be directly damaged by floods, droughts and severe storms, but portfolios can also be harmed indirectly, through weaker growth and lower asset returns. Climate change is a long-term, probably irreversible problem beset by substantial uncertainty. Crucially, however, climate change is a problem of extreme risk: this means that the average losses to be expected are not the only source of concern; on the contrary, the outliers, the particularly extreme scenarios, may matter most of all. To highlight the relevance of climate change to the asset management industry and beyond, this research estimates the value at risk (VaR)1 to 2100 as a result of climate change to the total global stock of manageable assets (the climate VaR). The world’s current stock of manageable assets is estimated to be US$143trn.² The resulting expected losses to these assets identified in our findings, in discounted, present value terms,³ are valued at US$4.2trn—roughly on a par with the total value of all the world’s listed oil and gas companies or Japan’s entire GDP. This is the average (mean) expected loss, but the value-at-risk calculation includes a wide range of probabilities, and the tail risks are far more serious. Warming of 5°C could result in US$7trn in losses – more than the total market capitalisation of the London Stock Exchange - while 6°C of warming could lead to a present value loss of US$13.8trn of manageable financial assets, roughly 10% of the global total. These values are based on the discount rate of a private investor, a reasonable baseline as the affected losses mentioned above will be on the privately held pool of global assets. However, as climate change is also a systemic problem, with issues of wider societal concern, it is often appropriate to apply a lower discount rate, consistent with public-sector actors that have longer time horizons than individuals. When the expected losses are considered from the point of view of a government, employing the same discount rates as the Stern Review,4 they rise dramatically. From the public-sector perspective, the expected value of a future with 6°C of warming represents present value losses worth US$43trn—30% of the entire stock of manageable assets. By way of scale, the current market capitalisation of all the world’s stockmarkets is around US$70trn.5 Written by _______________ 1 Value at risk measures the size of the loss a portfolio may experience, within a given time horizon, at a particular probability. 2 Our value for the stock of manageable assets is the total stock of assets held by non-bank financial institutions, as estimated by the Financial Stability Board. Bank assets are excluded as these are, largely, managed by banks themselves. 3 Present value is a common financial metric used to assess the current worth of a future stream of cash flows given a specified rate of return. Future cash flows are discounted at the discount rate, and the higher the discount rate, the lower the present value of the future cash flows. The cost of capital is commonly applied as a discount rate by both private investors and public sector bodies. 4 The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review. Available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_ review_Ûconomics_climate_change/stern_review_report.cfm 5 World Federation of Exchanges. 48
  • 49.
    THE COST OFINACTION: R E C O G N I S I N G T H E V A L U E A T R I S K F R O M C L I M A T E C H A N G E © THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT LIMITED 2015 While the value of future losses from the private sector is substantial, this is dwarfed by the forecast harms when considered from a government point of view. The long time horizon, coupled with private-investor discount rates, can lead to a remarkable tolerance for systemic environmental risk. The value at risk assessed by this research should be considered the expected losses to global assets if emissions fail to be substantially reduced, but fortunately, mitigation can greatly reduce these risks. Lower greenhouse gas emissions decrease the probability of temperature increases and thus the expected harms. Provided that warming from climate change can be kept under 2°C, the average projected losses can be cut in half, while the extreme losses, identified as tail risks, can be reduced by more than three-quarters. Although the mean projected losses are significant, the results also show that institutional investors are particularly at risk of lower probability but higher impact losses. Direct impacts vary geographically; economic sectors and asset classes that are concerned with physical assets or natural resources are the most vulnerable to climate change, such as real estate, infrastructure, timber, agriculture and tourism. However, our analysis suggests that much of the impact on future assets will come through weaker growth and lower asset returns across the board. These indirect impacts will affect the entire economy, even though the direct damage will be more localised. Indirect damage is a particularly important portion of the overall risk in the more extreme scenarios (those with 5-6°C of warming). Asset managers cannot simply avoid climate risks by moving out of vulnerable asset classes if climate change has a primarily macroeconomic impact, affecting their entire portfolio of assets. In effect, total global output will be lower in a future with more climate change, rather than one with mitigation, and accordingly the size of the future stock of manageable assets will also be lower. Thirty years is a common time frame for pension funds and other long-term investors. But if investors wait until these risks actually manifest themselves, then the options they will have to deal with them will be significantly reduced. This is a vital concern, as the scope of investments available to a future portfolio will be more limited in a world with severe climate change than in one which has successfully mitigated climate risks. This means that future pensioners may see the security of their retirement jeopardised as a result of the climate risk that the asset managers charged with their investments are currently carrying. These findings indicate that climate change is likely to represent an obstacle for many asset owners and managers to fulfil their fiduciary duties. Fiduciary duty requires managers to act in the best interest of their beneficiaries. In practice this means they need to deliver the best, risk-adjusted returns possible. Unfortunately, too many investors currently overemphasise short-term performance at the expense of longer-term returns. If investment managers are aware of the extent of climate risk to the long-term value of the portfolios they manage, then it could be argued that to ignore it is a breach of their fiduciary duty. Indeed, fiduciaries arguably have an obligation to reduce the climate risk embedded in their portfolios. Yet to date few asset managers have measured the climate-related risks embedded in their portfolios, much less tried to mitigate them. According to estimates by the Asset Owners Disclosure Project,6 only 7% of asset owners calculate the carbon footprint of their portfolios, and only 1.4% have an explicit target to reduce it. The good news is that there are widespread opportunities to reduce systemic environmental risks, and many of them are clearly profitable. Some leading investors are already taking the _______________ 6 Global Climate 500 Index 2015, Asset Owners Disclosure Project. Available at: http://aodproject.net/climate-ratings/aodp-global-climate-500-index 49
  • 50.
    THE COST OFINACTION: R E C O G N I S I N G T H E V A L U E A T R I S K F R O M C L I M A T E C H A N G E © THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT LIMITED 2015 initiative by investing in projects that finance the transition to a lower carbon economy. Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global runs an environmental fund of some NKr50bn (US$6bn) that is largely invested in alternative energy and energy efficiency; Aviva, the UK-headquartered insurer, is targeting a £500m (US$780m) annual investment in a low-carbon infrastructure over the next five years, and Allianz of Germany has committed €2.5bn (US$2.72bn) to renewable energy investments and plans to at least double its actual exposure in the medium term. Others are seeking to reduce long-term climate risks by decarbonising their portfolios. This need not come at the expense of short-term performance. The Swedish public pension fund AP4, for instance, has identified the 150 worst performers, in terms of carbon intensity, in the SP 500 index and divested its holdings in them. The remaining 350 stocks track the performance profile of the index closely but have 50% of its carbon footprint. While proactive steps addressing climate risk can demonstrate leadership, isolated activities will ultimately be insufficient. This is a collective action problem that must be addressed if carbon emissions, and thus climate risks, are to be reduced. It is clear that government action is required to establish a firm, clear price that reasonably reflects its externality costs. Rather than opposing this, institutional investors can collectively influence the companies in their portfolios to adapt and prepare for a lower carbon future. Moreover, investors can actively engage with policymakers, encouraging them to address this market failure as something that is in their collective self-interest. Although pricing carbon is essential, a carbon price alone is unlikely to completely solve the problem of climate change; complementary policies are necessary. The financial services sector has a vital role to play in managing the tail risks. To do so, better information and more thorough disclosure are needed by all market participants so that investors can make informed decisions. Financial institutions, however, have an obligation to manage their tail risks, and institutional investors specifically must manage their funds with the long-term benefit of their beneficiaries in mind. For this to be possible, regulators should issue guidance explicitly recognising climate risks as material. This means that disclosure of carbon emissions and acknowledgement of climate-related risks by publicly listed companies should be mandatory. Institutional investors should be able to assess and, where feasible, mitigate their climate risks accordingly. • The value at risk to manageable assets from climate change calculated in this report is US$4.2trn, in present value terms. • The tail risks are more extreme; 6°C of warming could lead to a present value loss worth US$13.8trn, using private-sector discount rates. • From the public-sector perspective, 6°C of warming represents present value losses worth US$43trn—30% of the entire stock of the world’s manageable assets. • Impacts on future assets will come not merely through direct, physical harms but also from weaker growth and lower asset returns across the board. The interconnected nature of the problem will reduce returns, even on investments unharmed by physical damage. • Although direct damage will be more localised, indirect impacts will affect the entire global economy; accordingly, asset managers will face significant challenges diversifying out of assets affected by climate change. Institutional investors need to assess their climate-related risks and take steps to mitigate them; very few have begun to do this. • Regulation has largely failed to confront the risks associated with climate change borne by long-term institutional investors. To enable meaningful risk analyses, public companies should be required to disclose their emissions in a standardised and comparable form. • Carbon pricing is crucial to addressing climate change. Government inaction with respect to this market failure neglects an issue of systemic risk and global importance. KEY FINDINGS 50
  • 51.
    THE COST OFINACTION: R E C O G N I S I N G T H E V A L U E A T R I S K F R O M C L I M A T E C H A N G E © THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT LIMITED 2015 Imperfect data availability and patchy admissions on climate risk leave both regulators and institutional investors unable to adequately address these risks. Moreover, effectively co- ordinated regulation is necessary so that best practice can become standard practice. Without requirements to recognise climate risks as material, many organisations will choose to ignore them, creating “free riders” who shirk their own responsibilities while contributing to the long- term, systemic impact of climate change. France is going further than issuing guidance. In May 2015 its National Assembly voted to require French institutional investors to disclose information on sustainability factors in their investment criteria, and to explain how they take into account exposure to climate risks and how they measure greenhouse gas emissions associated with assets held in their portfolios. This makes sense, because just as a particular institution may represent systemic financial risk, similarly climate risks may be concentrated but poorly assessed by institutional investors; regulators need clarity as to where these long-term risks are borne. For these assessments to be meaningful, regulators need to require companies to disclose their carbon emissions and related risks so that investors can make informed decisions. To avoid sleepwalking into a climate crisis, large-scale efforts, such as France’s, are needed from both the public and the private sector. Moreover, to bolster effectiveness and avoid regulatory arbitrage, there is a clear need for co-ordinated action by national governments, institutional investors, regulatory bodies and international financial organisations. The UN Climate Change Conference (Conference of the Parties, or COP21) due to take place in Paris at the end of this year offers a major forum for governments to address this market failure and to chart a path towards mitigating climate change. If there are no strong commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meaningful actions to price carbon, then this historic opportunity will have been wasted. 51
  • 52.
    steyertaylor.stanford.edu Crown Quadrangle |Stanford University | 559 Nathan Abbott Way | Stanford, CA 94305 INNOVATE | TEACH | CONNECT WE DEVELOP AND EXPLORE ECONOMICALLY SENSIBLE POLICY AND FINANCE SOLUTIONS THAT ADVANCE CLEANER AND MORE SECURE ENERGY 52
  • 53.
    Category Climate Finance SmarterMoney Review Special Edition:Top 10 Smartest Reports on the Intersection of Climate Change and Finance 53
  • 54.
    Climate Finance a StatusReport Action Plan December 5, 2015 54
  • 55.
    Climate Finance: aStatus Report Action Plan The Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in December 2015 in Paris (COP21) comes at a pivotal moment for our planet. The global effects of climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions are becoming more apparent every day, as has been documented in the latest Assessment Report (AR5) from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Among the many important and decisive topics that will be dis- cussed during COP21 by government officials, agency rep- resentatives, policy makers and financial actors, will be how to significantly increase the funding for low-carbon economic development. An increase in funding is required to avoid the worst-case scenarios of climate change. However, many questions still remain over what are the most efficient methods to mitigate climate change. With climate finance at the center of the climate change debate, Climate Finance: A Status Report Action Plan (the Plan) aims to not only inform key policy makers, fi- nancial actors, and other stakeholders about the current and future trends taking place in the climate finance efforts, but set forth new strategies and investment vehicles for rapid scale-up and expansion of climate finance. Unlike other studies and reports about climate finance, which call for a change in government policy or ask financial actors to take on higher risk and lower than market rate returns, this Plan provides an argument for properly structured, low-carbon in- vestments that can produce risk/return profiles that meet the criteria of private finance, all within the parameters of the world we live in today. This is presented through various case studies and suggested financing mechanisms. The Plan makes the case that climate finance can be made an attractive investment, not only for the public sector but also the private sector. Institutional investors have signaled the intention to invest in more green companies and projects, but have not been able to find bankable deal flow proportionate to that appetite. Being able to blend public and private capital will be critical in advancing climate finance efforts. By providing a comprehensive brief about the current and future trends of climate finance, along with a detailed roadmap for replicating early successes, this Plan will demonstrate that investments in climate finance can significantly mitigate the effects of climate change in a timely manner and can also be attractive financial investments for both the public and private investor. 55
  • 56.
    Section One: Overviewof Climate Change Science Policy The issues associated with climate change are being witnessed today. Such impacts include droughts, an increased occurrence of wildfires, threats to fresh water security, more intense and frequent storms, and ocean acidification. Additionally, current policy responses from sub-national governments have played an important part in moving the conversation forward. The significance of these advance- ments shows that action does not need to wait on national agreements, but can con- tinue successfully at a smaller scale. Section Two: Overview of Climate Finance to Date Climate finance can be defined in a number of ways, and by a number of factors. Var- ious stakeholders perceive the monetary need of climate finance differently, but the general consensus among many independent organizations brings the conversation into the trillions and not the billions. Climate finance is needed to address two primary challenges: adaptation and miti- gation. They are two sides of the same coin in climate finance, though there exists a debate over which should be prioritized in a world trying to stop climate change with existing inertia. Overwhelmingly, the majority of climate finance to-date has been giv- en to mitigation efforts through a combination of public and private investment. On the other hand, adaptation efforts have seen significantly less funding, which typically has not involved the private sector. Both the public and private sector have played different roles in climate finance to date. The public sector, which includes government agencies, development banks and bilateral aid agencies, is willing to invest in opportunities that provide zero or be- low-market rates of return. The private sector, which includes sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, private equity, public equities, and commercial banks, is only willing to invest in opportunities that provide market-rate returns. The private sector is respon- sible for the majority of climate finance to date, but it is apparent that these financiers continue to invest in low-risk and familiar situations, which excludes many other im- portant low-carbon opportunities that lack the traditional structure to be attractive. Climate finance mechanisms from both the public and private sector have been met with varying degrees of success. A carbon trade emission scheme like REDD is one example that has seen success at a local or regional level, but it is ultimately an unre- liable source for project finance on a large scale. For private investors, the introduction of green bonds into the marketplace has provided a valuable outlet to distribute capital to low-carbon projects in an effective manner. Executive Summary 56
  • 57.
    Climate Finance: aStatus Report Action Plan Climate finance has benefitted from the installation of these mechanisms into the mar- ket, but there is still a gap in achieving the trillions needed. This disconnect arises from several barriers, which may be summarized as: • Large data gaps in climate finance efforts • Sovereign risk • Technology risk • Policy risk • Subsidies of incumbent technologies • Lack of project intermediaries and developers • Risk/Return On Investment gaps • Lack of tracking, certification, and clear definitions • Lack of institutional capacity and entrepreneurial skills Given the barriers presented, there is an importance in analyzing the innovative ap- proaches to climate finance to date in hopes of replicating them in the future. Four case studies are reviewed, which show how, when properly structured, effective cli- mate finance can be deployed. These include the R20’s retrofit of Brazilian streetlights into energy efficient, emission reducing LEDs as well as the Global Environment Facil- ity’s ability to leverage billions of public funds to gain private funds for climate finance. Section Three: Climate Finance: A Blueprint for the Future The Plan presents a realistic framework for future finance efforts, which utilizes an action-oriented approach to develop a low risk, high return scenario for climate finance projects worldwide. The framework can be replicated and scaled to different projects depending on the investment terms and region. The approach is to design investment vehicles that reflect both the sense of urgency and the realities faced by government policymakers and investors from both the public and private sectors. Intermediaries, such as the R20, provide added value to financing low-carbon development. This includes the ability to streamline processes to identify bankable projects as well as the option to aid in finalizing purchase agreements for project developers. Existing pre-investment facilities (PIFs) are generally limited by factors such as scope and geography, but innovative new PIFs are being established to provide investors with bankable, low-carbon economic development projects from different regions that meet market rate risk-adjusted return requirements. These new PIFs are structured 57
  • 58.
    as revolving loanfunds with seed capital for design, development, and due diligence of projects where success or transaction fees from completed projects replenishes the PIF so it can continue funding new feasibility studies and project plans. To provide a dedicated source of capital for the pipeline of projects passing through the PIF, the Plan proposes the Green Investment Accelerator Fund (GIAF). The GIAF will provide seed capital that can align the developers of climate-friendly investment opportunities with intermediaries that can de-risk those transactions and make them bankable; fund managers that can apply their financial and additional due diligence skills to ensure financial viability; and investors with capital to invest in these deals. The GIAF will act as an accelerator rather than the primary source of capital, helping to jumpstart transactions and unlock the main sources of capital. The GIAF Team will coordinate deal flow origination with capital sources, but will recruit qualified Fund Managers in each geographical region to lead diligence and investment. The GIAF is proposing a target fund size of $1 billion USD, which will be split equally among the five following regions: • Sub-Saharan Africa • Mediterranean and Middle East • China/India/Asia-Pacific • North America/Europe • Central/South America Section Four: Conclusion Call for Active Partners Specific investment vehicles and project development strategies, such as market-ori- ented PIFs and GIAFs, can form the basis of new large-scale climate finance projects and partnerships. R20 proposes to serve as a hub for these new opportunities and will recruit partners in refining the concepts presented in the Plan and launching new climate financing vehicles jointly with all relevant stakeholders. The Climate Finance Advisory Committee welcomes participation from all relevant stakeholders to help create this new model of climate finance (after a thorough iden- tification and review of existing hubs and climate financing vehicles to ensure real value-added for any new facilities), further validate its global viability, and replicate/ scale-up the concept in all markets at sufficient levels to address the identified climate finance needs. Executive Summary 58
  • 59.
    EPICExcellence. Passion. Integrity.Caring. Lincoln, MA | New York, NY www.athenacapital.com InvestmentAdvisoryManagement |EstateWealthPlanning AdministrationReporting | ExternalChiefInvestmentOfficer Athena Capital Advisors is intensely focused on offering exceptional service and customization to meet our clients’ particular needs. As an established wealth manager, our core strength lies in the depth of our due diligence, risk management and portfolio management processes, into which we seam- lessly integrate impact goals for interested clients. For almost a decade, we have been helping individuals, families, and endowments incorporate their values into their investment portfolios. These are our values. What are yours? 59
  • 60.
    ICS CHICAGO April 26 27, 2016 Nancy Pfund Managing Partner DBL Partners Jean Case CEO Case Foundation Key Note Speakers Climate Panel Speakers COP Paris Continuing the Conversation Deb Clarke Global Head of Investment Research Mercer (US) Inc. Liqian Ma Senior Investment Director Cambridge Associates Adam Wolfensohn Co-Managing Partner Encourage, LLC Alicia Seiger Deputy Director Stanford Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance