Systemic solutions that deliver real-world impact are needed to reenergise the efforts of governments, corporates and investors, Greenbank, the sustainable specialist within Rathbones, one of the UK’s leading wealth and asset management groups, is warning, as the month countdown begins to COP 30.
The conference, held in Brazil in November, comes a decade after the landmark Paris Agreement set the world on a path towards limiting global warming. But while progress has been made – from decoupling emissions from GDP growth to a fall in renewable energy costs – the world remains on track for a median 2.7°C of warming, according to Climate Action Tracker.
For investors, the implications of a systemic collapse in nature are profound. The Amazon dieback represents a potential shock with direct consequences for asset valuations, capital allocation, and stranded asset risks. Greenbank argues that finance must be strategically deployed towards resilience, including protecting climate-critical ecosystems, supporting sustainable land use, scaling renewable energy and storage, and investing in smart, flexible infrastructure.
“Targets put numbers on a page, but it is investment in systems that make a difference,” said David Cox, Head of Greenbank. “Ten years on from Paris, COP30 must be about more than setting long-term ambitions. We need to deploy finance where it delivers the greatest leverage – upgrading grids to unlock renewables and scale EV adoption to drive down battery costs and protecting the ecosystems that stabilise our climate. Systemic risks demand systemic solutions, and we cannot afford to waste the next decade.
“COP30 offers a once in a decade opportunity. The Paris Agreement set the destination; now we need to build the systems to get us there.”
Before COP Greenbank will publish research into climate tipping points, which underscores what is at stake and describes the tangible impact of inaction. The Amazon rainforest is approaching a critical threshold where forest loss, reduced rainfall, and forest fire feedbacks could drive irreversible dieback, transforming the Amazon from a carbon sink into a carbon source. This in turn would accelerate global warming and heighten the risk of other tipping points such as Greenland ice sheet collapse or disruption of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.
The cascading impacts are not only environmental but systemic, the research shows: regional food and energy security, global supply chains, inflation, credit risks and financial stability would all be affected.
Greenbank is calling for urgent policy and market action. The specialist teams says focuses include streamlining permitting processes, accelerating investment in resilient infrastructure, embedding tipping point science into climate risk assessments, and ensuring zero-deforestation commitments are integral to both corporate strategies and national pledges.
In November, Rathbones hosts its Responsible Investment Summit, curated by Greenbank and bringing together clients, partners and industry experts to explore the future of responsible investing across private client, charity and advisor communities.
