Interdisciplinary research in the Climate and Finance Research Cluster falls under the following three Research Areas:
Climate Adaptation and Physical Climate Risk: The impact of climate change on floods, droughts, storms, heatwaves and wildfire is leading to increased physical risks to assets, supply chains, and businesses. Understanding the stresses in the financial system that arise from increased physical climate risk, and how we might effectively adapt to climate change, is essential to building resilient and productive economies.
Financing the transition to Net Zero: Achieving Net Zero will require a fundamental transformation of our economies. Understanding how the financial system can encourage investment in green energy, transport, and infrastructure is critical to realising the transition towards Net Zero.
Nature-positive Finance: The central importance of nature for the financial sector is becoming increasingly apparent. The ongoing loss of biodiversity puts global economies at risk, and nature-positive finance has a key role to play in aligning the financial system to reverse environmental degradation and biodiversity loss.
There are a number of Cross-Cutting Topics in the cluster that are common to all the above Research Areas:
Models, Data and Tools: Bringing together climate and finance also requires exchanging and developing the data, models and tools used to undertake interdisciplinary research. This includes data such as, finance and market data, Earth observations, climate projections and data. The University of Reading also expertise in a range of models and tools including, climate models, opensource risk and catastrophe models, and tools for financial and market analysis.
External Engagement: One of the key aims of the cluster is to develop research that effects real world change. Critical to this is co-developing applications and research areas alongside our partners from SMEs, larger firms, financial associations, NGOs, financial regulators, and government departments. We work with many individuals and organisations from insurance, banking, rating agencies, asset managers and pension funds to develop our research agenda. If you’re interested in working with us, the please contact us or sign up to our mailing list.
Find out more about our Projects and Partners.