Climate-KIC to screen climate impact of major European asset managers

Five major European asset managers and asset owners are to have the carbon footprint of their investments analysed by Climate-KIC partner South Pole Carbon.

The aim of this Climate-KIC Switzerland funded and supported initiative is to facilitate knowledge transfer from climate change experts to asset owners. It is also another implementation of (SME) vouchers by Climate-KIC Switzerland.

CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, will provide further elaboration on the risks and details of the climate change governance and performance of companies within the portfolio.

Winning organisations

The organisations were selected based on their potential to have a lighthouse effect on others in their respective industries – and based on the opportunity to enhance their climate change knowledge.

Steven Tebbe of CDP said:

This is a great opportunity to help investors to understand how their investments impact on climate change including a mix of different geographical and operational models.

The five winning organisations are:

• The Central Church Fund of Finland Pension Fund, Finland
• Fondazione Cariplo, Italy
• The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, UK
• The Church of Sweden, Sweden
• de Pury Pictet Turrettini & Cie SA, Switzerland

Opportunities

The variety among organisations receiving these awards – asset manager, pension plan, church fund and two foundations – shows the opportunities for catalysing change throughout the investment community.

The organisations were selected by a jury made up of representatives from CDP Europe, WWF Switzerland, Forum Nachhaltige Geldanlagen, yourSRI, Stiftung & Nachhaltigkeit, South Pole Carbon and Climate-KIC.