Electrification of the transport sector is one of the major economic transformations we expect to see expect to see in the next 30 years to meet societal net-zero goals. Internal combustion engine (ICE) based vehicles … Read More
Re-pricing renewable equity and debt returns – “Sunny” optimism vs “normal” distributions
As sources of carbon-free electricity, wind and solar generation assets are critical to achieving long-term net-zero objectives. Conversion of “sunshine,” “wind” or other renewable resources via new technologies into electrons that compete and trade with … Read More
Do “paired” solar plants and batteries create economic value?
The answer to this question is – it depends and not always. This has implications for over 200 GW plus batteries and over 460 GW plus solar in interconnection queues (vs. 1117 GW in existing … Read More
Why the “net-zero” momentum is “investment positive”, but comes with the risks of “zero-impact”
Sovereigns and sub-sovereigns, public/private sector corporate via policy, legislation or “aspirational” goal-setting sets the stage in 2020 for low-carbon investing with their stated objectives of carbon-neutrality (“net-zero” emissions by a target date) – with over … Read More
Financial Innovation and Sustainable Infrastructure Investments – Do the Recommendations for California Apply also to Emerging Markets?
California has been a bellwether state with respect to its climate policies. Its action plan to fund the state’s infrastructure is bold and ambitious. And it holds important insights for other markets faced with the challenges … Read More
ESG and Financial Performance
In the context of our continuing applied research on the linkage between ESG standards and financial performance, the conclusions from a recent study by Axioma are noteworthy. Companies with top ESG scores in the developed markets … Read More
Why Taxing Carbon May Not Make the World More Green?
The above is a thought-provoking perspective (see here) and research on carbon pricing and renewables, developed by two Wharton professors – Sergei Nettessine and Sam Aflaki. Sergei’s and Sam’s counterintuitive conclusion is that carbon pricing … Read More