2.14.2012

Bonus gem

The work of the Carbon Tracker initiative has been a significant force in helping to refocus the sustainability conversation on markets; specifically, on the role they play in determining the value of assets that the world's stock exchanges rest on, and the 'carbon bubble' that is being created from assuming these assets will be valid in the long term (if ExxonMobil gets its way, the assumption will stick as long as is humanly possible).

But let's not forget Bob Litterman, a veteran of the Goldman Sachs risk scene (yes, there is one) who was raving about this stuff to audiences of [mostly sceptical] wealth fund managers nearly two years ago.

I leave it to Bob to single-handedly dismantle the American political 'debate' and countless other ones over the real risks posed by sustainability in this gem (as described by the National Journal in 2010):

"In the United States, a growing number of lawmakers and candidates have adopted the belief that manmade climate change does not exist, a view that Litterman calls 'insane.' 'How can you be 100 percent sure?' he asks. 'The right question is, What's the probability?'...It's not a question of ethics or environmentalism, he says. 'I'm saying, this is where prices are going.'''

Indeed.

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