NEW YORK – As we move from UN Climate Week to COP28 in Dubai later this year, we must stop the “greenwishing” and “greenwashing” and start thinking about the instruments that will enable the private sector and private investors to channel more capital toward climate resilience and sustainable development. While the public sector has an important role to play in this respect, scalable solutions require significant commitments of private-sector resources. With climate change already wreaking havoc on poor and rich countries alike, unlocking this largely untapped pool of capital has become an urgent priority.
Yet as matters stand, many investors associate climate-centric investments with “social impact” and reduced profitability. While sophisticated investors have the means to deploy their capital profitably toward decarbonization, the energy transition, and other climate-related sectors, such investments tend to be illiquid. They remain tightly wound up in private-equity funds, and thus inaccessible to the ordinary investors and savers who are most exposed to climate-driven food, water, and energy insecurity.
Yet as matters stand, many investors associate climate-centric investments with “social impact” and reduced profitability. While sophisticated investors have the means to deploy their capital profitably toward decarbonization, the energy transition, and other climate-related sectors, such investments tend to be illiquid. They remain tightly wound up in private-equity funds, and thus inaccessible to the ordinary investors and savers who are most exposed to climate-driven food, water, and energy insecurity.
The sensible way to construct a profitable, long-term, climate-aligned, widely accessible investment strategy is to develop a diversified portfolio of assets that directly or indirectly support climate financing. For investors with a long-term horizon, a portfolio that meets these requirements should be composed of three main asset types.
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