427 Analysis – A Public Health Emergency with Dire Economic Consequences and Several Implications for Climate
The unprecedented global public health crisis from COVID-19 has led to fears of a global recession, but also presents a range of implications for climate change. While COVID-19’s immediate impacts include emissions reductions, the longer-term impacts on climate action and resilience-building are more complex. Likewise, COVID-19 may provide insight into how prepared communities are for the increasing frequency of disasters and how financial institutions can prepare for sudden disruptions. Four Twenty Seven’s new analysis explores several of these impacts, outlining topics to watch as we strive to understand the long-term implications and ensure the safety of communities and businesses.
The analysis highlights that short-term emissions reductions may be followed by economic stimulus packages favoring polluting industries. Yet, as companies adapt to remote work, there is the potential for longer-term behavior shifts that help reduce emissions. Meanwhile, communities around the world face various levels of restrictions, with impacts on climate negotiations and research. The COVID-19 pandemic increases the risk of business disruptions and compounds the public health risks of extreme weather events, making businesses and communities more vulnerable to climate impacts. The crisis also underscores the need for preparedness. The ways policy-makers, businesses and individuals respond to today’s public health emergency and the resulting successes and failures may provide lessons for responding to other multifaceted disasters, applicable to extreme weather events and natural disasters.
Moody’s on Climate Scenario Analysis
Using Scenario Analysis to Assess Credit Impact of Climate Risks
Climate-driven extreme weather events and the transition to a low-carbon economy are expected to have material impacts on companies, with increasing significance for credit analysis. However, both physical and transition risks have a wide range of potential outcomes. In its new report, Climate scenarios vital to assess credit impact of carbon transition, physical risks, Moody’s Investors Service describes a conceptual approach to scenario analysis, leveraging Four Twenty Seven’s methodology for physical risks.
The transition risk approach is to explore sector-specific credit implications for two IEA emissions scenarios. For physical risk scenarios Moody’s will use data from Four Twenty Seven to provide a uniform starting point from which to explore the range of credit implications of different climate hazards across sectors. Since the climate takes years to fully respond to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, in the near-term the uncertainty in physical outcomes is not driven by policy changes, but rather by scientific uncertainty within the climate models. By grouping the outcomes of climate models within a single RCP into low, medium and high tiers one can explore the range of potential severity in climate hazards such as extreme temperature and precipitation. Register for free to read the analysis:
Inside the Office at Four Twenty Seven
As COVID-19 has led to widespread disruption in businesses and personal lives, Four Twenty Seven remains committed to ensuring the safety of our staff and clients while also continuing to provide the same data, analysis and client support that we are known for. Our business remains open globally, with teams in the U.S., Paris and Tokyo working remotely. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us via email or on our cell phones.
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