The World’s Biggest Capitalist Says Climate Is ‘Reshaping Finance’

The world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, is suddenly putting sustainability and climate risk at the center of its investment strategy.

“Investors are increasingly...recognizing that climate risk is investment risk. These questions are driving a profound reassessment of risk and asset values. And because capital markets pull future risk forward, we will see changes in capital allocation more quickly than we see changes to the climate itself,” wrote BlackRock CEO Larry Fink in his yearly investment letter.

BlackRock manages over $7 trillion in assets. This new strategy could have a wide impact on the world of finance -- and put climate risk at the top of investor considerations.

Plus, activists are targeting banks like Chase and Citibank by hitting them on the consumer finance side. We check in on the divestment movement as it gains momentum.

Then, a look at some lesser-known, but formidable greenhouse gases: refrigerants. How much a problem are they?

Finally, California looks beyond lithium-ion batteries. The state is looking to fund the next ideas in energy storage. What are those technologies and how will they be deployed?

Resources:

• New York Times: BlackRock C.E.O. Larry Fink: Climate Crisis Will Reshape Finance
• Listen to the Climate 2020 podcast interview with Bill McKibben
• Bill McKibben in NYT: Want to Do Something About Climate? Follow the Money
• E&E News: Senators Float HFC Phase-Down Bill
• GreenBiz: Why Supermarkets are Key to a Cooler Climate
• Utility Dive: California Is Looking for Better Storage

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