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FIRST-QUARTER 2024 EDITION: DISCLOSURE AND DECARBONIZATION

Sustainability Quarterly


In the latest edition of the S&P Global Sustainability Quarterly, we explore how investor demand for climate disclosures and efforts to decarbonize sectors entwine.

Published: April 2, 2024

In this edition of the S&P Global Sustainability Quarterly, we take stock of two entwined trends shaping the sustainability conversation in 2024: investor demand for more consistent, comparable and reliable climate-related information and the challenges of decarbonization in hard-to-abate industries.

In early March 2024, the US Securities and Exchange Commission finalized its long-anticipated climate disclosure rule, joining a growing trend of global regulations and standards seeking to improve disclosure of climate-related risks and risk management. We assess the US climate disclosure landscape in research from S&P Global Sustianable1.

As the regulatory landscape has evolved, we have seen asset owners around the world increasing their allocations to investment strategies that incorporate sustainability considerations. This increase, in turn, reflects the importance of sustainability factors for many asset managers in their investment decisions. In research from S&P Dow Jones Indices, we explore how investors are approaching the integration of sustainability factors into their funds with an eye to both their sustainability profile and financial performance.

We also unpack the outlook for the global sustainable bond market in research from S&P Global Ratings, which forecasts that issuance of green, social, sustainable and sustainability-linked bonds will rise modestly in 2024, with green bonds continuing to dominate the market thanks to increased demand for environmental projects across all geographies. 

Even as sustainability considerations grow and the global economy moves toward decarbonization, S&P Global data shows that hundreds of unabated coal-fired power plants and new coal mines are being developed, and financing for these coal operations is still widely available from the private sector. This research from S&P Global Sustainable1, S&P Global Commodity Insights and S&P Global Market Intelligence explores how the continued growth of coal could hinder goals to achieve net-zero emissions

We also explore potential solutions on the horizon that could play a role in the energy transition by helping to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation and shipping, in research from S&P Global Commodity Insights on biofuels and research from S&P Global Ratings on e-fuels. 

Investing in nature is another way to help achieve net-zero goals, though research from S&P Global Sustainable1 suggests that nature-based solutions remain an untapped area of investment for many companies. We will be watching this space closely as the intersection of nature and climate comes more into focus in the second half of 2024 with the United Nations’ COP16 biodiversity conference in Colombia in October followed by its COP29 climate change conference in Azerbaijan in November.

Lindsey Hall
Global Head of Thought Leadership
S&P Global Sustainable1

Lai Ly
Global Head of Sustainability Research
S&P Global Ratings

Project Leads & Contributors


Lindsey Hall
Global Head of Thought Leadership,
S&P Global Sustainable1
Co-lead, S&P Global Sustainability Quarterly
Lai Ly
Global Head of Sustainability Research,
S&P Global Ratings
Co-lead, S&P Global Sustainability Quarterly
Matt MacFarland
Editor, Thought Leadership,
S&P Global Sustainable1
Editorial Manager, S&P Global Sustainability Quarterly

 

 

Tim Axtmann
Senior Analyst, Sustainable Finance,
S&P Global Ratings
Pierre Georges
Managing Director, Global Analytics,
S&P Global Ratings
Janet McGurty
Senior Writer, Oil,
S&P Global Commodity Insights
Alessandro Badinotti
Sustainability Analyst,
S&P Global Sustainable1
Rachel Gerrish
Managing Director - Sector Lead, EMEA Transportation,
S&P Global Ratings
Gaetan Michel
Associate Director,
S&P Global Ratings
Salome Balderrama
ESG Analyst,
S&P Global Sustainable1
Davide Di Gioia
Director, Index Investment Strategy,
S&P Dow Jones Indices
Akman Ozel
Biofuels Analyst,
S&P Global Commodity Insights
Maya Beyhan
Senior Director, ESG Specialist, Index Investment Strategy,
S&P Dow Jones Indices
Francesca Jaworska
Associate Research Analyst,
S&P Global Sustainable1
Robert Perkins
News Managing Editor, Downstream Oil,
S&P Global Commodity Insights
Simone Burgin
Associate Editor,
S&P Global Commodity Insights
Alex Jones
Environmental Research & ESG Modeling Analyst,
S&P Global Sustainable1
Emily Podshadley
ESG Specialist,
S&P Global Sustainable1
Sophie Byron
Global Head of Biofuels,
S&P Global Commodity Insights
Roman Kramarchuk
Head of Future Energy Outlooks,
S&P Global Commodity Insights
Bryan Popoola
Senior Analyst, Sustainable Finance,
S&P Global Ratings
Ina Chirita
Senior Principal Research Analyst,
S&P Global Commodity Insights
Jennifer Laidlaw
Thought Leadership Senior Writer,
S&P Global Sustainable1>
Joerg Rueedi
Senior ESG Analyst,
S&P Global Sustainable1
Patrice Cochelin
Head of Analytical Governance, Sustainable Finance,
S&P Global Ratings
Christine Lee
Director, Nature & Climate Risk Solutions,
S&P Global Sustainable1
Jamie Salo
Head of Environmental Research,
S&P Global Sustainable1
Gautier Desme
Head of Data Innovation,
S&P Global Sustainable1
So Lefebvre
Associate ESG Analyst,
S&P Global Sustainable1
Grace Stoddart
Quantitative Associate, Index Investment Strategy,
S&P Dow Jones Indices
Terry Ellis
Global Climate Transition Specialist,
S&P Global Ratings
Cornis van der Lugt
Senior Manager, ESG Research,
S&P Global Sustainable1
Emmanuel Volland
Managing Director - Global Analytics,
S&P Global Ratings
Vittoria Ferraris
Managing Director - Sector Lead, EMEA Automotive,
S&P Global Ratings
Paul McConnell
Research and Analysis Executive Director,
S&P Global Commodity Insights
Esther Whieldon
Thought Leadership Senior Writer,
S&P Global Sustainable1
Warrick Fuchsloch
ESG Client Engagement Specialist,
S&P Global Sustainable1

 

Thank you to all our colleagues across S&P Global who contributed to the design, production and publication of the S&P Global Sustainability Quarterly: Rameez Ali, Lauren Capolupo, Carla Donaghey, Ila Negi, Stephanie Oxford, Cat VanVliet.

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