Climate Alignment Principles: How to invest in line with a +1.5˚C goal
- 18 December 2020 (5 min read)
Executive summary
As efforts to deliver on the Paris Agreement galvanise, investors are beginning to switch from simple commitments to tangible actions. We are increasingly asked by clients: “How can we invest in line with the 1.5°C goal?” This research paper explains our proposed approach, which we call our Climate Alignment Principles
There have been numerous industry efforts to establish a framework to help investors with this aim. These cover the entire process from investment governance, to policy, target setting, asset allocation and stewardship, as well as reporting and monitoring. The focus of this paper is on investment. We have covered the other sections in prior papers including our 2020 Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosure Report, Climate Scenario Analysis, and Strategic Asset Allocation for a +1.5°C World
Investments aligned with a credible pathway to delivering on the Paris Agreement will need to be primarily focused on one of two objectives. These are either opportunities enabling the climate transition via new products and services, or companies which are rapidly decarbonising at a rate akin to what climate science requires to keep global warming to +1.5°C versus pre-industrial times
At AXA Investment Managers, we propose to start from a set of principles which guide our decision-making and frame the selection of tools and key performance indicators to achieve portfolio alignment. We believe that by following these principles we can effectively navigate the evolving landscape and constructively tackle the challenge of aligning our strategies with the Paris Agreement
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