Emily Steinbarth

At the end of 2020, we provided an overview of the decarbonisation research and implementation we have been conducting for our global clients. We are pleased to be able to extend this research in a new paper, in which we provide more information on exactly what carbon exposures are and how they are measured within the global investment management industry. Global markets are already moving towards standardised taxonomy and reporting processes, and we explore this in this research paper. We will also explain the difference between greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fossil fuel reserves, and how investors can calculate their portfolio’s exposure to each. We also discuss data providers and best practice for reporting on portfolio exposures. This research paper forms the key next step for investors that are moving toward measuring and implementing decarbonisation strategies in their portfolios.

A lot of work has gone into identifying how carbon can be measured, managed and invested in for tomorrow’s green economy. But there is more to the “E” in environmental than carbon. Here we ask: “what is the next big thing in the environmental space?”– for us, it’s water.

In this paper, we explore how a standard decarbonisation approach can unintentionally lead to reduced exposure to renewable energy and a reduction in the aggregate ESG profile of a portfolio.