Catastrophic climate change se bachne aur global transition ko net-zero economy ki taraf tezi se barhane ke liye, policymakers aur asset owners ko jald se jald yeh sochna zaroori hai ke hum capital ko kis tarah se scale par channel karte hain. Iska hal hai ke naye financial instruments develop karein jo profitable, liquid, aur savers aur investors ke liye globally easily accessible hon.
NEW YORK – Jab hum UN Climate Week se COP28 ki taraf Dubai mein ja rahe hain, toh humein “greenwishing” aur “greenwashing” ko rokna hoga aur sochna hoga ke woh instruments kya hain jo private sector aur private investors ko ziada capital climate resilience aur sustainable development ki taraf barhane mein madad karenge. Jabke public sector ka is may important role hai, lekin scalable solutions ke liye private-sector resources ka significant commitment hona zaroori hai. Climate change ne pehle se hi gareeb aur ameer countries dono par havoc macha rakha hai, is liye is largely untapped pool of capital ko unlock karna ek urgent priority ban gaya hai.
Magar jaise ke halat hain, bohat se investors climate-centric investments ko “social impact” aur kam profit se jodte hain. Jabke sophisticated investors ko apne capital ko decarbonization, energy transition, aur doosre climate-related sectors mein profitable taur par deploy karne ka tariqa pata hota hai, aise investments usually illiquid hoti hain. Woh private-equity funds mein tightly wound hoti hain, aur is tarah se ordinary investors aur savers ke liye jo climate-driven food, water, aur energy insecurity mein sab se zyada exposed hain, unke liye accessible nahi hoti.
Iska hal hai ke aise climate investments banaye jayein jo profitable, liquid, aur sab ke liye accessible hon. COP28 ek opportunity hai ke hum aise market solutions ko kaise deliver karein, aur kaise hum digital innovation ka istemal karke promising models ko scale up karein. Capital ko scale par mobilize karne ke liye, humein individual investors ke global savings ke sath sath institutions jaise ke pension funds, insurers, aur sovereign funds ke commitments ka istemal karna hoga. Risk diversification ko retail-friendly, liquid, easily accessible instruments jaise ke exchange-traded funds (ETFs) se achieve kiya ja sakta hai.
Profitable, long-term, climate-aligned, widely accessible investment strategy banane ka ek sensible tariqa yeh hai ke hum aise diversified portfolio of assets develop karein jo directly ya indirectly climate financing ko support karte hain. Investors ke liye jo long-term horizon rakhte hain, unke liye aise portfolio mein teen main asset types shamil hote hain.
Pehla hai climate-resilient real estate aur infrastructure – yani assets jo weather-proof, stable geographies mein hain jo low climate exposure ke sath hain. Aise regions mein real-estate aur infrastructure valuations population shifts ke asar se significantly appreciate kar sakte hain, especially Southern Hemisphere ke high-risk areas se North America, Northern Eurasia, aur select geographies in the Global South mein hone wale migrations ke wajah se. Carefully selected Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) aur ETFs ke zariye climate-adaptation efforts se reliable returns hasil kiye ja sakte hain. Aur iske sath hi, aise investments broader economic aur societal benefits bhi offer karte hain, jaise ke productivity growth, job creation, aur migrating populations ke liye employment aur housing ka arrangement.
Dusra component hai green commodities. Ek resilient future ki taraf orderly transition ke liye massive investments not only in energy, food, aur water assets, but also in the metals aur critical minerals ki zarurat hoti hai jo renewable energy aur electric vehicles (EVs) mein istemal hoti hain. Yeh commodities soy, wheat, copper, rare-earth elements, cobalt, lithium, etc. ko shamil karte hain. “Greenflation” (decarbonization efforts ki wajah se hone wala inflation) aur supply bottlenecks se bachne ke liye, humein in commodities ki production ko boost karna aur inko secure karne ke liye cost ko kam karna urgently zaroori hai.
Finally, ek sensible climate-aligned portfolio mein assets shamil hone chahiye jo inflation aur geo-economic risks ke against hedge provide karte hain, jaise ke short-term aur inflation-indexed sovereign bonds aur gold. In assets ke negative correlation climate-related investments ke sath extra ballast offer karta hai, sath hi yeh liquidity aur low volatility provide karta hai jise ki bahut se individual investors, pensioners, aur savers ke needs ko meet kiya ja sake. Aur ek aur faida hai: inflation-proof sovereign assets mein ziada investment karne se governments ko green transition ko finance karne ke liye ziada capability milti hai.
In climate-investment instruments ko maximum impact achieve karne ke liye, yeh zaroori hai ke woh average investor ke liye liquid, low-cost terms par available hon. Jabke ETFs help kar sakte hain, har kisi ke paas brokerage account ya bank account nahi hota. Hum tend to overlook karte hain unbanked populations ko Global South mein, aur sath hi sath younger generations ko jinhe digital assets zyada appealing lag sakte hain. World Bank ke mutabiq, globally 1.4 billion adults unbanked hain, aur several Middle Eastern, Asian, aur African countries mein jo larger youth (“digital native”) populations ke sath hain, unka share unbanked population mein 50% se zyada hai.
In factors ki wajah se, humein aise digital, tokenized representation banani hogi jo ke mention kiye gaye climate-investment solutions ki, taki global scale par achieve kiya ja sake aur taki woh log bhi protect ho saken jo climate change aur fiat currency debasement ke zyada risk mein hain. Magar digital assets tab viable solution offer kar sakte hain jab woh real-world physical aur financial assets ke sath backed ho. Speculation risks ko mitigate karna aur crises ke doran liquidity ko preserve karna crucial hai taki yeh ek or form of fundamentally worthless crypto vaporware na ban jaye.
Climate-resilient communities banane ke liye, cross-border public-private partnerships ko encourage karne ke liye, critical green supplies ko secure karne ke liye, aur dunia bhar mein climate-driven population shifts ko accommodate karne ke liye, policymakers aur asset owners ko urgently yeh sochne ki zarurat hai ke hum capital ko scale par kaise channel karte hain. Climate-driven costs jo ke rapidly escalate ho rahe hain, uske sath sath innovation (both technological and financial) hi hamare paas sab se powerful tool hai. COP28 ke nazdeek, temporizing aur empty green-wishing ke li