SFI Seminar: Pathways Versus Incentives: Climate Activism to Climate Outcomes (Recording available)

Join SFI’s monthly seminar on the third or fourth Thursday of the month from 4:00 - 5:00 pm PT to meet our faculty and fellows and learn more about our ongoing research projects. We’ll cover innovative policy and financial mechanisms designed to rapidly decarbonize the global economy.

Up next:

On Thursday, January 18, Julien Maire, Research Fellow at the Sustainable Finance Initiative (SFI), will share SFI's recent research on Pathways Versus Incentives: Climate Activism to Climate Outcomes.

Climate activists have pressured financial institutions to accelerate global decarbonization by aligning portfolios with Paris Agreement transition pathways and targets. SFI traces the progression from IPCC scenarios to corporate target setting via the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and financial institutions’ portfolio alignment methods. We identify four critical weaknesses: flawed GHG Protocol emissions counting rather than accounting, reliance on centrally-planned pathways, implicit divestment-driven approaches, and tension with fiduciary duties. These issues undermine the theory of change behind activist and financial sector efforts. As an alternative, we propose Emissions Liability Management (ELM) which treats emissions as liabilities matched by removal assets, enabling firms to maintain emissions solvency. Rather than chasing pathways, ELM provides incentives for emissions reductions and removals consistent with shareholder obligations. By reframing climate action in financial terms, ELM can engage financial markets as agents of change.

Recommended Reading

• Pathways Versus Incentives: Climate Activism to Climate Outcomes
• Visit SFI's Carbon Accounting and Emissions Liability Management page for more readings.