Benchmark
Investors Seeking Green Assets Make Companies (Somewhat) Cleaner
Absence of competitive advantage inhibiting green investment flows
A wind turbine operates at Hama Wing in Yokohama, Japan.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Growing investor appetite for low-carbon assets is pushing companies to hasten their transition to clean energy, but not nearly fast enough.
About 68 percent of global investors intend to increase green investments and one-in-two companies has a strategy to reduce their environmental impact, according to a survey commissioned by HSBC Plc published Sept. 12. However, only 43 percent of companies disclose their plans and 56 percent of investors say current disclosure levels are "highly inadequate," the survey shows.