At least 10% of the S&P 500’s assets would be hit by climate hazards by the 2050s — if government leaders and the private sector don’t act to tame emissions, S&P Global Sustainable1 tool shows.
Over 90% of the world’s largest companies will have at least one asset financially exposed to the impacts from a hotter planet in coming decades, such as warehouses or data centers in the path of wildfire or rising flood insurance costs.
It’s also becoming clearer that the stock market will be directly impacted by climate change. Close to 10% of the S&P 500’s SPX, -1.13% total assets would be financially impacted by climate hazards by the 2050s under a business-as-usual scenario. Water stress and extreme heat will have the highest impact, the data tool shows.
The business push for S&P also marks increasing awareness that companies and their investors will need everpresent and timely data as climate change evolves, particularly if the SEC continues to move forward with landmark regulation that will require more climate data transparency. JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM, Fitch Ratings and Morningstar Inc.MORN all released similar products this year.