Originally published July 26 2005
Investors take global climate change seriously
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
With average global temperatures expected to increase between 1.4C and 5.8C over the next century, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, world leaders at the G8 summit discussed the significant impact climate change could have on industries like farming and energy, and some investors are now making their investment decisions in anticipation of climate change by choosing to invest in industries like alternative energy companies.
Climate change was high on the agenda at the G8 summit of world leaders last week -and it could become one of the most pressing issues for investors in the coming decades.
Pascale Sagnier, head of socially responsible investment at Axa Fund Management in Paris, said: "About 20% of the global economy is affected by the risk of climate change.
For many industries, including energy, transport and farming, climate change is more important than interest-rate or currency fluctuations."
The Association of British Insurers has estimated that climate change could boost the annual cost of flooding in the UK by about 15 times from �1.5 billion to �22 billion by the 2080s, assuming carbon-dioxide emissions remain high.
These homes could be blacklisted by insurers and lose up to 80% of their value, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
Veronica Fuller, 44, a local-government officer, fell victim to severe floods in Carlisle six months ago.
Despite the doomsday scenarios, investors can benefit from climate change by backing winners and avoiding the losers.
Jennifer Hall Thornton of Climate Change Capital, an investment bank specialising in the field, said: "London is a leading centre for climate change, and we have identified about 70 firms that will benefit from government action.
Investment in the sector is expected to grow from $ 20billion (�11.5billion) a year to $ 100billion over the next 10 years, according to the International Energy Agency.
The industry received a boost from the G8 last week when world leaders agreed to promote new, clean technologies to replace fossil fuels that produce carbon-dioxide emissions.
The Carbon Trust has estimated that if the oil and gas sector does nothing, its value could be destroyed by about �4billion; the airline sector could lose �1.5billion.
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