A Playbook for Financing Climate Solutions | Nili Gilbert and David Blood | TED | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Nili Gilbert and David Blood discuss the challenges and opportunities in financing the transition to a sustainable economy.

Key Insights

• 🌍 The finance sector is not moving fast enough or at the scale needed to address the climate transition, especially in hard-to-abate sectors and the Global South.
• 💰 There is enough capital, with institutions committing trillions of dollars to net-zero goals, but it needs to be allocated effectively and at a larger scale.
• 🌱 Public policy and regulation changes are necessary to facilitate the transition to a decarbonized economy.
• 💡 There are many entrepreneurs and business people driving climate solutions, and technology costs are decreasing, but more progress is needed.
• 💼 Investors need better tools to evaluate a company or industry's decarbonization progress.
• 🔀 The way people think about capital allocation needs to fundamentally change to incorporate the impact of investments within a risk and return framework.
• 💪 The finance pathway to net-zero is challenging because it intersects with every other pathway and requires collaboration between top-down policy efforts and bottom-up sector-specific transitions.
• 💼 Finance needs to focus on hard-to-abate sectors like aviation and invest in multiple production pathways for sustainable solutions, partnering with individual sectors to achieve their goals.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: Why is financial capital not moving fast enough to address the climate transition?

Financial capital is not moving fast enough to address the climate transition because there are several challenges that hinder its progress. Firstly, while the finance sector plays a critical role, it relies on businesses and entrepreneurs to lead the way in implementing sustainable practices. Secondly, there is a need for change in public policy and regulation to support and incentivize sustainable investments. Thirdly, the investment community lacks the necessary tools to accurately evaluate a company or industry's progress in decarbonization. Lastly, there is a need to change the way people think about capital allocation and create capabilities for investors to understand the impact of their investments within a risk and return framework.

Q: Is there any good news in the context of addressing the climate transition?

Yes, there is good news. Despite the slow progress, there is an abundant amount of capital available to support the transition towards a sustainable future, with institutions committing trillions of dollars to net-zero goals. Additionally, there are no legal barriers preventing investors from allocating capital to sustainable solutions. Furthermore, there are remarkable entrepreneurs, business people, and technological advancements driving change in the clean energy sector. Public policy is also shifting, with significant climate legislation emerging globally. Lastly, history has shown that finance can adapt and change, making it a vital part of the solution.

Q: What are some challenges in financing the transition to clean energy?

One of the challenges in financing the transition to clean energy is the disparity between the current finance for clean energy and the required amount. While finance for clean energy currently equals that of fossil fuels, it falls short of what is necessary to achieve the desired transition. For clean energy finance to meet its targets by 2030, it needs to quadruple compared to traditional fossil fuel funding. Additionally, there is a need for increased focus on hard-to-abate sectors, such as cement, steel, aviation, and shipping, which contribute significantly to global emissions. These challenges require finance to partner with science, engage with policy, and work with engineers to bring solutions to scale.

Q: Which sector provides a promising opportunity for sustainable aviation fuel?

The aviation sector provides a promising opportunity for sustainable aviation fuel. Sustainable aviation fuel is crucial for decarbonizing the sector, and there is a rising corporate demand for it. However, the current supply is insufficient to meet the growing demand and sector's goals. To address this, it is essential to focus on multiple production pathways for sustainable aviation fuel, such as using ethanol, carbon, or even captured carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, as well as municipal solid waste. Investing in the aviation sector and the necessary solutions to achieve sustainability goals is a crucial step in the finance pathway towards a net-zero future.

Q: Is there optimism for achieving the necessary transformational change?

Yes, there is optimism for achieving the necessary transformational change. While it will be difficult, both speakers express optimism in their ability to overcome the challenges and make the required changes. Transformational change is needed in industries, financial institutions, civil society, and public policy to address the climate crisis effectively. The role of finance is vital in providing the means for society to achieve its ambitions, and climate-led investing is already becoming an asset class. By expanding what capital markets value and incorporating sustainability impacts, investors can play a significant role in helping society achieve its objectives in terms of the planet, people, and nature.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Financial capital is not moving quickly enough or at the necessary scale to address the climate crisis.

• The finance sector needs businesses, public policy change, better tools for evaluating decarbonization, and a shift in capital allocation mindset.

• There is enough capital and potential for change, but more needs to be done to finance the transition to clean energy, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors.