This statement is endorsed by 49 investors representing US $3.7 trillion in assets.
As investors with a requirement to act in the best interest of our beneficiaries and in line with our fiduciary duties, we believe that strategies to tackle climate change need to incorporate the full environmental, social and governance (ESG) dimensions of responsible investment. There is an increasing recognition that the social dimension of the transition to a resilient and low-carbon economy has been given insufficient attention, notably in terms of the implications in the workplace and wider community. Achieving a just transition, in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, will help to accelerate climate action in ways that deliver the Sustainable Development Goals.
Investors can make an important contribution as stewards of assets, allocators of capital and as influential voices in public policy to make sure that the transition produces inclusive and sustainable development. There are multiple reasons for investors which together create a compelling case for investors to support the just transition, including:
- Societal Goals: The just transition enables investors to align themselves to strategic global objectives such as those contained within the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals along with international labor and human rights standards.
- Systemic Risk: The just transition provides a way for investors to better manage the systemic risks of climate change by linking the environmental and social dimensions of long-term economic performance.
- Fiduciary Duty: The just transition is aligned with the fiduciary duty to capture the social and environmental drivers of value creation and serve beneficiary interests.
- Materiality: The responsible management of workforce and community dimensions of climate change are increasingly material drivers for value creation;
- Opportunity: The linkage of climate change with social factors provides a lens for investors to view new investment opportunities that generate returns and positive impact.
As investors, we will engage on the topic in the spirit of open inquiry and innovation, with the goal of developing widely shared best practices that link climate-related investment, decent jobs, thriving communities and sustainable development.
The information in this article should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
