World’s biggest companies face $1 trillion in climate change risks

• 215 biggest global companies report almost US$1 trillion at risk from climate impacts, with many likely to hit within the next 5 years
• Companies report potential US$250 billion in losses due to the write-offs of assets
• Climate business opportunities calculated at US$2.1 trillion, nearly all of which are highly likely or virtually certain
• Potential value of sustainable business opportunities almost 7x the cost of realizing them (US$311bn in costs, US$2.1 trillion in opportunities)
• Financial companies forecast US$1.2 trillion in potential revenue from low emissions products & services
• Financial services industry represents almost 80% of the total potential financial impacts in the sample set
• Fossil fuels companies report more opportunities than risks from the low-carbon transition, raising questions about what they are reporting

June 4, 2019, London: A group of the world’s biggest companies¹ representing nearly US$17 trillion in market capitalization have valued the climate risks to their businesses at almost US$1 trillion - with many likely to hit within the next 5 years. This is revealed in a groundbreaking new report published today by CDP, which runs the global disclosure system for environmental information.

Over 80% see major climate impacts, including extreme weather patterns, rising global temperatures and increased pricing of greenhouse gas emissions. Around US$500 billion of costs are rated as likely to virtually certain, with higher operating costs linked to legal and policy changes making up a significant risk.

Companies report potential US$250 billion in losses due to stranded assets – these include fossil fuel assets that may no longer offer economic returns as a result of market shifts associated with the transition to a low-carbon economy, or companies that are significantly exposed to the physical impacts of climate change.

But the group also reported cumulative gains from realising business opportunities related to climate change at US$2.1 trillion, with the majority on track as almost certain. These opportunities include increased revenue through demand for low emissions products and services (such as electric vehicles), shifting consumer preferences and increased capital availability as financial institutions increasingly favor low-emissions producers.

On average, the potential value of climate-related opportunities is almost 7 times the cost of achieving them (US$311bn in costs, $2.1 trillion in opportunities). Given this, investors and stakeholders could expect to see a significant shift in climate-friendly products and services from the world’s largest companies.

Companies in the financial sector see the most potential revenue (USD$1.2 trillion) from potential new sustainable products & services, followed by manufacturing ($338 billion), services ($149 billion), fossil fuels ($141 billion) and the food, beverage & agriculture industries ($106 billion).The vast majority of risks are also concentrated in the financial services industry – the sector reported almost 80% of all financial risk value².

Nicolette Bartlett, Director of Climate Change, CDP commented, “The goalposts for climate action have never been clearer for companies. Our analysis shows that there are a multitude of risks posed by climate change, including impaired assets, market changes and physical damages from climate impact, as well as tangible impacts to business bottom lines.

Following the recommendations of the UN’s IPCC report, our collective response to climate change is more urgent than ever, and it is clear that corporate action cannot be delayed. So it is hugely encouraging that companies are reporting that the potential value of climate opportunities far outweigh the costs of investing in the transition.

However, while our research shows that financial organizations see the most opportunities and value at risk from climate change, a more concerning story may sit behind this statistic. It is likely that this growing awareness is partly caused by the increased scrutiny of regulators and stakeholders. And the potential gaps in awareness and disclosure elsewhere in the economy present real risks. Regulators and investors should take note, and all companies from all industries need to step up.”

Other key findings from the report include:

• Only half of the fossil fuel companies in the Global 500 provided any financial figures for the substantive risks and opportunities identified
• Power companies represent one of the few industries where the costs to manage risks, or realize opportunities, outweigh their impact on the business. Disclosures centered around the substantial costs associated with updating existing power plant infrastructure.

The full report covers 6937 companies who reported data to CDP in 2018, including a sample based on the 500 biggest global companies by market cap, 366 of which reported to CDP. It analyzes the risks and opportunities related to climate change reported by companies in 2018 in line with the recommendations from Mark Carney’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

CDP has committed to align its information requests with the TCFD, which will help drive the adoption of TCFD recommendations by reporting companies.

View the executive summary of the report.

¹As identified by the biggest global 500 companies by market cap (Global 500)

² Financial Services companies represent the largest proportion of the responding companies from the Global 500 sample set

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Notes to editor

For more information or for exclusive interviews with the CDP team, please contact:

• Rojin Kiadeh, CDP t: +44 (0) 203 818 3973 | e: [email protected]
• Joshua Snodin, CDP t: +49 (0) 30629033142 | e: [email protected]

About CDP and this report

About CDP
CDP is an international non-profit that drives companies and governments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests. Voted number one climate research provider by investors and working with institutional investors with assets of US$96 trillion, we leverage investor and buyer power to motivate companies to disclose and manage their environmental impacts. Over 7,000 companies with over 50% of global market capitalization disclosed environmental data through CDP in 2018. This is in addition to the over 750 cities, states and regions who disclosed, making CDP’s platform one of the richest sources of information globally on how companies and governments are driving environmental change. CDP, formerly Carbon Disclosure Project, is a founding member of the We Mean Business Coalition. Visit www.CDP.net or follow us @CDP to find out more.

The report

CDP created a global 500 sample using Bloomberg's Terminal. We identified the 500 biggest corporates by market capitalization on the day of extraction (13th February 2019). Of the 500 sample, 366 (73%) responded to CDP's climate change questionnaire in 2018. These 366 companies represent USD$28.7 trillion of market cap, or 74% of the total global 500's market cap, USD$38.9 trillion.

For this report, we have also provided some high-level analysis of the full 6,937 companies that responded to CDP’s climate change questionnaire, and covers companies responding to investor, and supply chain member requests. This was done to provide a more holistic view of CDP’s reporting population and identify key trends at an industry or geographic level.