Climate Change Laws of the World - Statement of support from Adam Matthews

 As investors, we are committed to seeing a rapid transition to a resilient, low carbon economy. This is due to the financial duties and obligations we owe our beneficiaries, as well as the wider responsibilities we have for ensuring the sustainability and resilience of our economic, social and environmental systems. In order to fulfil these responsibilities, we need rigorous information about regulatory environments and corporate practices. The information that is available to investors informs investment decision making and will underpin the mainstreaming of sustainable finance to address the global challenge of climate change. 

For many years, Michal Nachmany and the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics has been providing exceptional and accessible resources on climate laws, court cases, and companies’ climate practices and alignment with the Paris Agreement. Those resources are widely used by the global investor community. The Grantham Research Institute’s work is both academically rigorous and highly relevant for practitioners and has been an invaluable resource for investors as well as for companies wishing to increase their ambition on climate action. 

As the urgent need for global action becomes clearer, so does the need for more and better information on climate action by governments, cities, and companies. We are very excited about the Grantham Research Institute’s work, but we also recognise that it needs to be scaled up and brought further into the public sphere. Building on their considerable experience, we are certain that a climate policy knowledge hub would be a tremendous and sustained contribution to supporting sustainable and resilient investment decision making. 

Adam C.T. Matthews
Director of Ethics & Engagement
Church of England Pensions Board