So what is GFANZ and can it save the world?



GFANZ is The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (gfanz), is a coalition co-chaired by Mark Carney, a former governor of the Bank of England. Its members, which include asset owners, asset managers, banks and insurers, have capital committed to over  $130trn of assets to cut the emissions from their lending and investing to net zero by 2050. These commitments, from over 450 firms across 45 countries, can deliver the estimated $100 trillion of finance needed for net zero over the next three decades.


These firms - including banks, insurers, pension funds, asset managers, export credit  agencies, stock exchanges, credit rating agencies, index providers and audit firms – have committed to high ambition, science-based targets, including achieving net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest, delivering their fair share of 50% emission reductions this decade, and reviewing their targets towards this every five years. All firms will report their progress and financed emissions annually.


They propose 4 ways to achieve net zero 


  • 1. Lending and investing 

GFANZ - Financial institutions representing nearly $9trn in assets pledged to uproot deforestation from their investment portfolios. 


By 2030, $4trn of investment will be needed each year to shift from fossil fuels to clean energy -  a tripling of current levels. ($15t spent on Covid in 2 years )


Spending on fossil fuels must decline and spending on climate actionnneeds to increase 


Non state-controlled firms account for only 14-32% of the world’s emissions. 


State-controlled companies, such as Coal India or Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil producer, are a big part of the problem and they do not operate under the sway of institutional fund managers and private-sector bankers. 


And China and Russia are still to come to the party .


Their needs to be a coordinated approach to lending and finance by Governments and Private Enterprise - Globally - we all need to work together to solve this wicked problem 

  • 2. Measurement 


What you can measure - you can manage 


There needs to be a standard  way to accurately assess the carbon footprint of a portfolio without double counting. 


How should shareholders, lenders and insurers divvy up the emissions from a coal-fired power plant, for instance?


We have blockchain to do this 


  • 3. Incentives and great returns from Climate Action 


How do you incentivise investors and innovators  to stay away from  fossils  and invest in renewables . 


Together, the five biggest American tech firms have a carbon intensity (emissions per unit of sales) of about 3% of the s&p500 average.


How can you prevent private equity to invest in assets such as  oilfields and mines giving great returns - and encourage them to invest in renewables and green technologies have mediocre risk-adjusted returns.


How do you encourage venture capital into Climate Action - that is where the magic will happen 


  • 4. A price for Carbon 


A standard price on Carbon - Carbon  needs to be a tradable commodity - why not a BitCarbon


A price on Carbon will target everyone and  align profit incentive to climate action .


  • The players


Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance and COP26 Private Finance Advisor to PM Johnson

Nigel Topping, UN High Level Climate Action Champion for COP26

Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer

Michael R. Bloomberg, Co-Chair of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero

 Klaas Knot, Vice Chair of the Financial Stability 


Where Money goes - innovation flows 


Inspired by https://www.economist.com/leaders/the-uses-and-abuses-of-green-finance/21806111

The uses and abuses of green finance from TheEconomist


And 


https://ifamagazine.com/article/cop26-mark-carney-and-gfanz-announce-130trillion-commitment-to-net-zero-by-financial-sector/