Ahead of the COP29 summit, the Founding Partners of the Investor Agenda, including UNEP Finance Initiative, have gathered support from 650 investors, who collectively manage $33 trillion in assets, for the 2024 Global Investor Statement to Governments on the Climate Crisis. This statement urges governments to strengthen their climate commitments, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal. The aim is to drive a transition to a climate-resilient, nature-positive, and fair net-zero economy.
The Investor Agenda’s Founding Partners, consisting of the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change, CDP, Ceres, Investor Group on Climate Change, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, Principles for Responsible Investment, and UNEP FI, coordinated this global call, representing a unified stance from investors demanding concrete climate policy advancements. This statement will be formally presented at COP29 during the official side event titled Accelerating Global Investor Climate Action to Achieve the Paris Agreement’s Goals, scheduled for 15 November in the COP29 Blue Zone in Baku, Azerbaijan.
As governments prepare to meet at the year’s largest climate summit, the investor statement emphasises the critical need for policies that support the global net-prograero goal. It advocates for wide-reaching public policies, such as sector-specific strategies in high-emission industries, financial disclosures on climate impacts, and investment into mitigation and resilience in developing economies. Additionally, it stresses the importance of a holistic approach to climate-related financial disclosures, policies addressing biodiversity and nature-linked challenges, and frameworks that promote both developed and emerging economies’ efforts.
The statement also calls for investors to adopt Investor Climate Action Plans (ICAPs), aligning their portfolios with net-zero emissions by 2050 or sooner. Setting credible interim targets is a key component of these plans, ensuring that investors contribute meaningfully to the global climate response outlined in the Investor Agenda’s framework for climate action.