Investments in clean energy and supporting infrastructure are crucial to realizing a low-carbon future. In Part 7 of our Energy Transition Talks podcast series, CGI experts Andy Schmidt and Peter Warren discuss how the financial services industry is influencing the energy transition and its role beyond that of a "gatekeeper" in driving sustainability and mitigating climate change.
For years, the financial services industry has supported energy and utilities customers with traditional products like loans, lines of credit, insurance policies, and investment portfolio management. Of late, the industry is taking a more discerning look at sustainable investment opportunities within energy and utilities to help all of its customers become more sustainable.
This interest, says Andy, is fueled primarily by regulatory, customer, and board-level sentiment about the energy and utilities industry's impact on climate change. It also is driven by the opportunity to move beyond the role of "gatekeeper" to that of an effective industry partner.
There's a realization, he says, that the financial services industry has a specific role to play in helping businesses of all types drive sustainability and mitigate the effects of climate change. "At Sibos last fall, banking leaders were very clear that their goal is to incent, partner, and find a common path forward to become greener, more sustainable, and more climate-friendly in terms of how business is delivered."
Visit our Energy Transition Talks page