While investors are making commitments to decarbonise their investment portfolios, there remains a significant methodological gap—there is no internationally-agreed framework for assessing the climate-related risks and opportunities associated with sovereign debt instruments.

The solution to the issue would be a publicly available, independent, and open-source investor framework/database to assess the climate action and alignment of sovereigns. The Assessing Sovereign Climate-related Opportunities and Risks (ASCOR) Project— created and funded by a coalition of global institutional investors, representing over US$ 5 trillion in assets under management—is tasked with delivering this very solution.

On 7 February, ASCOR launched a public consultation on its framework, inviting relevant stakeholders (including sovereign bond issuers, development finance institutions, investors, civil society and the wider public) to submit their feedback.

In this webinar, the ASCOR and Transition Pathways Initiative team will introduce the ASCOR framework and its methodology and will also answer audience questions.     

  • Why the ASCOR project is important (asset owner perspective)
  • The ASCOR Project and its consultation
  • Q&A
  • Next steps for ASCOR
  • Victoria Barron, Head of Sustainable Investment, BT Pension Scheme Management;
  • Dr. Maximilian Bong, Associate – Investment Strategy Fixed Income Credit, Allianz Investment Management SE
  • Johannes Honneth, Policy and Data Analyst, Transition Pathway Initiative, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, LSE;
  • Adam Matthews, Chief Responsible Investment Officer, Church of England Pensions Board; and
  • Antonina Scheer, Policy Fellow, Transition Pathway Initiative, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, LSE.