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We align financial markets with climate goals

The 2° Investing Initiative (2DII) is an independent, non-profit think tank working to align financial markets and regulations with the Paris Agreement goals. 2DII coordinates some of the world’s largest research projects on sustainable finance. Its team of finance, climate, and risk experts develop research, tools, and policy insights to help financial institutions and regulators hasten and adapt to the low-carbon transition. In addition to its hubs in Europe and the US, 2DII has a special focus on emerging markets, with active research projects across Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

Research programs

Retail Investing Program

2° Investing Initiative’s Retail Investing Program employs data-driven research, legal analysis, product development, and communications tools to integrate sustainability into the retail investing market. Our mission is to help reallocate individual savings to finance the low-carbon transition, as well as to align retail investing industry practices with the Paris Agreement goals. To achieve this, we focus on supporting retail investors in their efforts to invest sustainably; helping financial institutions improve the sustainability of their product offering; and devising policy recommendations for governments and regulators, with a special focus on Europe.

1in1000 Program on Future Risks & Challenges

1in1000 is a new research program by 2° Investing Initiative that helps financial institutions and supervisors address future risks and challenges, especially those related to climate change. The program aims to integrate risks posed by climate change, ecosystem service and biodiversity loss, and the breakdown of social cohesion into financial processes and regulations. It focuses on developing long-term risk metrics, designing risk management tools and frameworks, and building capacity for financial institutions and supervisors. Find out more at www.1in1000.com.

Impact Program

Since COP21, climate target-setting by investors and banks has evolved into an increasingly popular concept. However, the lack of standardized frameworks and best practices in this field is emerging as a major obstacle to the alignment of global financial flows with the Paris Agreement goals. To address this issue, 2° Investing Initiative’s Impact Program is working closely with financial institutions, policymakers, and other stakeholders across the sustainable finance sector in order to develop enhanced methodologies on impact and target-setting.

Emerging Markets Program

2° Investing Initiative works in emerging markets across the globe to help financial institutions and governments facilitate the low-carbon transition, as well as respond to climate-related risks. Spanning all of 2DII’s research programs, our team of finance and climate experts leads capacity-building, climate risk assessment, policy analysis, and other initiatives across Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Our mission is to help close the gap in regions that are especially vulnerable to the physical and transition risks associated with climate change.

Our values

Non-commercial & committed to the public good
We have no commercial contracts and provide all of our research open source and IP rights-free. This policy minimizes financial conflicts of interest and guarantees the public good-driven nature of our work.

Independent and interest-neutral
Our governance and our funding structure is designed to be diversified and multi-stakeholder. This helps ensure that our research does not represent a particular interest group, but rather our best understanding of the truth.

Science- and evidence-based
We continuously aim to expand and improve the evidence base for decision-making in sustainable finance.

Our impact

One of the three long-term objectives of the Paris Agreement is “making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development” (Article 2.1c). At the 2° Investing Initiative, we work to align financial markets and regulations with this objective. Nearly 10 years after our founding in 2012, many of the core concepts we devised have been integrated into market practices, the regulatory agenda in the EU and beyond. Find an overview of some of our key impact below.

Putting climate issues on the financial policy agenda

2DII helped draft the preliminary version of France’s groundbreaking Article 173, which was part of France’s 2015 “Energy Transition for Green Growth” law. Even before the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) issued its recommendations, Article 173 marked the first time that climate change reporting requirements were imposed on institutional investors. In addition to this law, 2DII has contributed to the European Commission’s first report on sustainable finance and the High-Level Expert Group recommendations on disclosures, supervisors and retail investors, among others.

Coining the concept of aligning financial portfolios with climate goals

With the launch of the Paris Agreement Capital Transition Assessment (PACTA) climate scenario analysis methodology, 2DII coined the concept of aligning portfolios with climate benchmarks. PACTA has since been used by more than 3,000 financial institutions around the globe with more than 600 portfolio alignment analyses conducted on a monthly basis. The concept of aligning financial portfolios with climate objectives has also been embedded in EU regulations and the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

Introducing climate scenario analysis and stress-testing into regulatory practices

In addition to its uptake by the financial industry, 2DII has helped introduce climate scenario analysis and stress-testing into regulatory practices, through high-level collaborations with more than a dozen governments and financial supervisors around the globe. These include the Bank of England, European Insurance & Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), Japan Financial Services Agency, California Department of Insurance, Colombian Financial Superintendence, and more. 2DII is also working with a number of governments, including Switzerland, Austria, Norway, the Netherlands and more, to measure the alignment of their financial sectors with climate benchmarks at a national level. Finally, through its work in emerging markets, 2DII is collaborating with government institutions across Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia on capacity building, climate scenario analysis and risk management issues.

Empowering consumers to align their investments with their environmental convictions

As part of its Retail Investing Program, in 2020 2DII launched the first non-commercial resource platform for sustainably minded retail investors, MyFairMoney, with over 20,000 unique visitors since launch. The site acts as an independent, unbiased source for retail investors and financial advisors alike, comprising educational materials, a fund database rated by ESG criteria, and a suitability questionnaire. MyFairMoney is now available to investors across Europe in English, French, and German. It forms a core part of 2DII’s efforts to leverage retail investors’ convictions – and savings – to shift financial flows towards more sustainable activities.

Helping financial institutions develop science-based climate action strategies

To date, there is still limited understanding of how financial industry actions can contribute directly to impact – GHG emissions reductions – in the real economy. 2DII’s Impact Program is addressing this knowledge gap, by developing free, open-source tools, such as a Climate Impact Management System to guide financial institutions in setting up science-based climate contribution strategies. In parallel, 2DII is leading the Evidence for Impact Working Group in collaboration with 30 leading financial institutions, 10 NGOs and academic institutions to develop, test, and propose new solutions for the financial industry to contribute to the energy transition.

 

For our annual accounts, please visit the Governance page

Annual reports


2DII today announced it is transferring stewardship of the Paris Agreement Capital Transition Assessment (PACTA) to RMI, formerly Rocky Mountain Institute. PACTA measures financial portfolios' alignment with various climate scenarios, including those consistent with the Paris Agreement. Under RMI’s stewardship, PACTA will remain a free, independent, open-source methodology and tool, and will continue to provide the financial and supervisory community with forward-looking, science-based scenario analysis to help users make climate-aligned financing decisions. RMI will invest in scaling up PACTA’s usability and applicability in day-to-day investment decisions as well as reporting requirements.

Access the full press release here: https://2degrees-investing.org/2-investing-initiative-transfers-stewardship-of-pacta-to-rmi/In the coming weeks, we will update this website with additional information. For now, please note that all contact information remains unchanged.