Ninety One, the global investment manager, and Imperial College announce a first for both organisations as they are collaborating on a bespoke Climate Risk Programme to educate Ninety One’s employees. The programme aims to deepen understanding on climate-related risks and opportunities, to help inform investment decision-making.
The three week programme was initially held for 60 of Ninety One’s investment professionals in April of this year. After some further refinement, another 50 investment professionals will undertake the course this September. It builds on their ability to assess climate risk and knowledge of various pathways towards climate change mitigation.
The programme also covers which technological developments might enable or disrupt these pathways and how to treat the extensive uncertainties around these. A major component of the course will assess whether climate-related risks can be priced and how these approaches can be integrated into portfolios, further informing the company’s sustainability framework.
Tom Nelson, Co-head of Thematic Equity at Ninety One, said:: “Ninety One is a learning organisation. It would be wrong to assume any of us have all the answers. We want to work with the minds that can sharpen our thinking. Our collaboration with Imperial College is an opportunity for our people to engage with some of the very best in the field, on an exceptional programme covering topics that are shaping the future of investing and the world at large.
“The initiative stems from our desire to pursue sustainability with substance and hold ourselves to account so we can continuously improve. This programme deepens our knowledge and allows us to better understand the magnitude of risks and opportunities climate change presents to our investment decision-making. We also see potential to take it further and develop our knowledge right across the organisation to ensure our people have a strong understanding of the nuances and intricacies of climate risk.”
The programme will feed into Ninety One’s sustainability framework: Invest, Advocate and Inhabit:
Invest drives Ninety One to deliver stronger ESG integration, effective engagement and purposeful sustainability or impact investment solutions.
Advocate determines Ninety One’s role in contributing to policy, helping educate and providing sensible thinking to our clients on these complex topics.
Inhabit encapsulates Ninety One’s belief that change starts at home with how we act sustainably and run our firm responsibly.
The programme has been developed in collaboration with Imperial’s Executive Education department together with the expertise of The Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment and The Centre for Climate Finance and Investment at Imperial College Business School.
The multidisciplinary approach of the programme aims to transcend faculty boundaries to ensure the research and course work are better linked to real world impact and help teach participants how to think about uncertainty.
David Brown, Director of Executive Education, Imperial College Business School said: “We are delighted to be deepening our partnership with Ninety One to create this bespoke programme.
Over the last 12 months we have worked very closely with Ninety One’s investment experts to tailor this course to their needs and are confident of the impact it will have across the firm in achieving ever improving sustainability outcomes.
Climate risk is a real challenge facing businesses today and through our Centre for Climate Finance & Investment along with the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, we are well placed to advise organisations on how to navigate the challenges and investment opportunities in renewable energy, clean technologies and climate-resilient infrastructure.
This programme will draw on our extensive research on this pressing issue to help Ninety One extend their knowledge, apply new insights into their investment choices and advise their clients on making long-term sustainable investments.”
The Climate Risk Programme with Imperial College Business School evidences Ninety One’s commitment to ingrain sustainability with substance as a firm and to help its clients meet the challenges presented by climate change.
To find out more about Imperial’s Executive Education offer, visit the Imperial College Business School website.
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