Stockholm (NordSIP) – According to the latest UN IPCC report, it is “unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land” that the scale of these changes is “unprecendented” and that it is already detrimentally affecting many regions. To help tackle this challenge and ensure the transition to a net-zero carbon emissions world by 2050, institutional investors and asset managers, in coalition with the scientific community, can be proponents of the climate transition.
In the spirit of promoting scientific solutions to accelerate the transition, AXA IM launched the “AXA IM Climate Transition Award” recognising the key role of research in the fight against global warming, for which it is calling for self-nominations from researchers all around the world.
“To become the world’s leading responsible investor and reach our objectives to become a Net Zero Asset Manager by 2050, we must lead the transition to a sustainable world both as a major global investor and as a business,” Marco Morelli, Executive Chairman at AXA IM, commented. “We already took several actions to be truly sustainable, ranging from our product range to our active ownership and engagement initiatives to hold companies to account for climate risk. We also educate our global workforce to build their climate awareness and will be reducing our own carbon footprint by 25% by 2025.”
“But we believe in the power of collective action to overcome climate-related risks. By launching the AXA IM Climate Transition Award together with the AXA Research Fund, we are putting our purpose into action by recognising innovative research seeking to combat climate-related risks. We can and must take a lead role in what matters most to society. By supporting and funding scenarios to decarbonise, we seek to benefit the planet, people and communities,” Morelli added.
The ‘AXA IM Climate Transition Award’ is aimed at supporting an advanced researcher with a PhD and between 8 and 12 years of maximum post-doctorate experience. Applications will be selected by a committee, composed of a recognised climate research scientist, an institutional investor and representatives from AXA Group, the AXA Research Fund and AXA IM. The award will recognise contributions in the following categories:
- “Innovative solutions and approaches to mitigation[2] to reach net-zero by 2050.”
- “Nature-based solutions as a key component of our climate transition, both in terms of mitigation and adaptation[3]. Effectiveness and co-existence with other proposed solutions.”
- “Measurement and tracking as the crux of the climate change issue, both in terms of assessing our limits and the extent of success or failure in reducing CO2 levels and other pollutants. For example, carbon pricing or alternative approaches to financial and economic incentives to CO2 (and other warming gas) reductions and measurement methodologies for both GHG emissions reduction and CO2 removal.”
- “Beyond CO2, the reduction of other shorter-lived climate forcers as a contribution to warming reduction.”
Applications will have to be submitted by the 6 October 2021. The winner will be awarded a €100,000 grant in recognising the research’s impact and dedicated to future research purposes. The winner will be announced end of October 2021.
“Research plays a decisive role in the fight against global warming and its impact on our society. By improving our understanding of the interrelations between human activity, climate and the environment, it helps inform decision-makers and the public to drive policy making and private action,” Marie Bogataj, Head of the AXA Research Fund and Group Foresight, concluded.
Image by Andrzej Rembowski from Pixabay