ADBI Book Chapter: An Energy Policy for the ASEAN?
The chapter “An Energy Policy for the ASEAN? Lessons from the EU’s Experience on Energy Integration, Security, and Decarbonization” (page 563-592) has just been published in the book titled “Economic Integration in Asia and Europe: Lessons and Policies” published online by the Asian Development Bank Institute and is available here: https://lnkd.in/gunU5WSi
The chapter was written by CEFGroup Director Associate Professor Ivan Diaz-Rainey and three current and former CEFGroup PhD students, Iftekhar Ahmed, Dr Daniel Tulloch (Principal Analysis, Ministry for the Environment) and Dr Matthew McCarten (University of Oxford), as well as Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary (Tokai University, Japan).
Global Authority on Climate Disclosure, Professor Paul Griffin, Joins CEFGroup
CEFGroup is delighted to announce that Professor Paul Griffin has been appointed as an Honorary Professor within CEFGroup and the Department of Accounting and Finance at the University of Otago.
Professor Griffin (Distinguished Professor, UC Davis) is a leading international authority in accounting, financial information, and disclosures. His recent publications examine the relations between stock prices and greenhouse gas emissions, the informational role of short interest for corporate bond prices, investors’ recognition of unburnable carbon on energy company balance sheets, CSR performance ratings on analysts’ information costs, the effects of social norms on CSR disclosure, and how executive social networks affect earnings management. His current research projects pursue two additional topics of interest: the impact of extreme weather on company stock returns and the required disclosures in response to extreme weather; and the disclosure practices of R&D-intensive firms that may want to restrict disclosure because it is valuable to rivals.
CEFGroup Public Lecture: Your Investing, Spending and Time
The Climate and Energy Finance Group (CEFGroup) is delighted to facilitate a public lecture entitled ‘Your Investing, Spending and Time‘. John Berry, CEO of Pathfinder Asset Management, will talk about three ways we can each improve our world as individuals, by using our money and our time. The talk will be followed by a Q&A session.
Date and Time: Friday 13th August, 12pm-1pm
Register here and join us at Otago Business School, Lecture Room 1.17 (Union Street East, Dunedin, NZ)
See below for more details:
Two CEFGroup Papers Accepted for Presentation at the 4th Annual GRASFI Conference
Two CEFGroup papers have been accepted for presentation at the 4th Annual GRASFI Conference: “In Search of Climate Distress Risk” by Dr Quyen Nguyen, AP Ivan Diaz-Rainey and Dr Duminda Kuruppuarachchi, and “Who Owns the Emissions: Equity Ownership and the Carbon Underground 200” by Truzaar Dordi, Dr Sebastian Gehricke, Alain Naef and Prof Olaf Weber.
Click here to find more detailed information and click here to register for the conference.
New Associate Editor of the Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment
CEFGroup Director, Ivan Diaz-Rainey has been appointed as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment. AP Diaz-Rainey note “I look forward to working with the Editor Professor Olaf Weber and his team on this important and growing journal.”
Sustainability Changes Made to KiwiSaver Default Provider Scheme
CEFGroup Director, Associate Professor Ivan Diaz-Rainey, comments on the recent government announcement to exclude fossil fuel investments from default KiwiSaver funds. He is optimistic that the new environmental policy will foster green growth in the economy and help protect New Zealand investors from portfolio risks posed by climate change. Read the full article from the following link:
Default KiwiSaver funds to exclude fossil fuel investments – Expert Reaction
Ivan’s Science Media Centre commentary also led to Radio NZ National and Magic Talk interviews:
Magic Talk, 08:00 News (Saturday), 15/05/2021 play now
Radio NZ – National, 12:00 News (Sunday), 16/05/2021 play now
Radio NZ – National, 13:00 News (Sunday), 16/05/2021 play now
PhD Completion for Quyen Nguyen
Quyen Nguyen completed all requirements for her PhD thesis. Her research focus was on climate risk in financial institutions and the credit market. In her thesis, she examined transition risks and physical risks on the financial system, which involved a mix of cross-discipline techniques including credit risk analysis, spatial modelling, machine learning prediction and financial stress testing. Quyen’s supervisors are AP Diaz-Rainey, Dr Duminda Kuruppuarachchi and Dr Matthew McCarten (University of Oxford).
Quyen is now employed as an Assistant Research Assistant at CEFGroup, University of Otago, and will soon start a 3-year Post-Doctoral Fellowship funded by a Royal Society of New Zealand’s Marsden Fund grant on climate-change risks to property values and the related implications for financial stability. Quyen will be graduating in August.
CEFGroup New Collaboration with EMMI
The Climate and Energy Finance Group (CEFGroup) is pleased to announce that it is working with EMMI. EMMI is leading the way in building a global standard to assess carbon financial risk for companies.
CEFGroup is helping the EMMI team to developing novel machine-learning approaches to estimate corporate carbon emissions in a timely manner, building on CEFGroup world-class research expertise in this area.
CEFGroup Deputy-Director’s Op-Ed on Stuff
Dr Sebastian Gehricke provided a climate finance perspective on the Climate Change Commission’s report. He complimented on the CCC’s efforts in providing a plan for NZ’s climate strategy, and made some further improvement suggestions with potential impact. Read the full article from the following link:
Climate Change Commission report: A climate finance perspective
CEFGroup Director Comments on Policy Mix Needed to Decarbonise NZ
Decarbonising will be NZ’s biggest mission over the next 30 years. Whether we get it right is crucial to our economy and the planet. CEFGroup Director, Associate Professor Ivan Diaz-Rainey argues in a newsroom article that both the ETS system and complimentary sectoral policies are needed to reach net zero emissions. Read the full article here
