The energy transition: Why renewables outperform fossil fuels

A joint report by the International Energy Agency and the Centre for Climate Finance & Investment at Imperial College examines the risk and return proposition in energy transitions. It looks at publicly traded renewable power and fossil fuel companies in advanced and developing economies calculating the total return and annualized volatility of these portfolios over 5 and 10-year periods. 

Across all portfolios, renewable power generated higher total returns relative to fossil fuel. Annualized volatility for the renewable power was lower than fossil fuel in the global and advanced economies portfolios, but higher in the China and emerging market and developing economies portfolios.

Click here to view Michael’s slides[vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Michael%20Waldron%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22%20Head%20of%20investment%20team%2C%20International%20Energy%20Agency%20(France)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Michael%20Waldron%20is%20an%20energy%20investment%20analyst%20in%20the%20economics%20and%20investment%20office%20of%20the%20International%20Energy%20Agency.%20He%20was%20previously%20the%20project%20leader%20and%20lead%20author%20of%20the%20IEA%E2%80%99s%20Medium-Term%20Renewable%20Energy%20Market%20Report%2C%20which%20assesses%20market%20trends%20of%20renewables%20in%20the%20electricity%2C%20transport%20and%20heat%20sectors.%20At%20the%20IEA%20he%20has%20also%20worked%20as%20an%20oil%20demand%20and%20biofuels%20analyst.%20Prior%20to%20joining%20the%20IEA%2C%20Waldron%20worked%20as%20a%20senior%20energy%20markets%20analyst%20at%20Lehman%20Brothers%20in%20New%20York%20and%20London.%20Waldron%20obtained%20his%20Masters%20in%20International%20Energy%20Policy%20%26%20International%20Economics%20at%20Johns%20Hopkins%20University%2C%20School%20of%20Advanced%20International%20Studies%20(SAIS)%20and%20his%20Bachelors%20degree%20in%20Economics%20%26%20Government%20at%20Cornell%20University.%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2245852%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fmichael-waldron-0410542%2F%22%7D%5D” title=”Speaker” el_class=””][vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Colin%20Tate%20AM%20%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Chief%20executive%2C%20Conexus%20Financial%20(Australia)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Tate%20has%20been%20an%20investment%20industry%20media%20publisher%20and%20conference%20producer%20since%201996.%20In%20his%20media%20career%2C%20Tate%20has%20launched%20and%20overseen%20dozens%20of%20print%20and%20electronic%20publications.%20He%20is%20the%20chief%20executive%20and%20major%20shareholder%20of%20Conexus%20Financial%2C%20which%20was%20established%20in%202005%2C%20and%20is%20headquartered%20in%20Sydney%2C%20Australia.%20%5Cn%5CnThe%20company%20hosts%20more%20than%2020%20conferences%20and%20events%20globally%20each%20year%20and%20publishes%20three%20digital%20publications%2C%20including%20the%20global%20website%20and%20strategy%20newsletter%20for%20global%20institutional%20investors%E2%80%AFTop1000Funds.com%2C%20Professional%20Planner%20for%20financial%20planners%2C%20accountants%20and%20private%20bankers%20in%20Australia%20and%20Investment%20Magazine%20for%20Australian%20superfunds%20and%20institutional%20investors.%20One%20of%20the%20company%E2%80%99s%20signature%20events%20is%20the%20bi-annual%20Fiduciary%20Investors%20Symposium%20attended%20by%20global%20asset%20owners%20and%20hosted%20in%20the%20Americas%20and%20Europe.%20%5Cn%5CnConexus%20Financial%E2%80%99s%20events%20aim%20to%20place%20the%20responsibilities%20of%20investors%20in%20wider%20societal%20and%20political%20contexts%2C%20as%20well%20as%20promote%20the%20long-term%20stability%20of%20markets%20and%20sustainable%20retirement%20incomes.%20%5Cn%5CnTate%20served%20for%20seven%20years%20on%20the%20board%20of%20Australia%E2%80%99s%20most%20high%20profile%20homeless%20charity%2C%20The%20Wayside%20Chapel%3B%20and%20he%20has%20underwritten%20the%20welfare%20of%2060%2C000%20people%20in%2028%20villages%20throughout%20Uganda%20via%20The%20Hunger%20Project.%20In%202021%20was%20appointed%20as%20a%20Member%20(AM)%20of%20the%20Order%20of%20Australia%20(General%20Division)%20for%20significant%20service%20to%20the%20community%20through%20charitable%20initiatives.%20%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2245799%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fcolin-tate-839a5a181%2F%3ForiginalSubdomain%3Dau%22%7D%5D” title=”Moderator” el_class=””][vc_empty_space height=”10px”]

Editorial coverage

Editorial Content

Inflation is coming. Time to act

[vc_empty_space height=”10px”]

Sponsored Content

Related reading

Fundamentals tilt in favour of emerging markets
Inflation impact on assets[vc_empty_space height=”10px”]

Key takeaways

  • xxx
  • xxx
  • xxx
  • xxx

[vc_empty_space height=”10px”]

Unanswered questions and answers

[vc_empty_space height=”10px”]

Poll results

To follow[vc_line_chart]

Leave a Comment

America’s net zero opportunity

America’s net zero opportunity

Research from Princeton University plots a Blueprint for how the US can achieve net zero emissions in the next decade showing the key is overcoming execution challenges including the infrastructure deployment and the mobilisation of capital and labour.

Sort content by

The current path of sustainability is not sustainable

Will there be a sustainable politics of sustainability? Professor Stephen Kotkin examined the politics of sustainability and the importance of transparency, measurement and compliance so that greenwashing does not prevail.

Investors should invest – A framework for investing in clean energy and sustainability

This session looked at the opportunities for new investment, the risk/return trade-off and how investors should approach the opportunities.

Case study: decarbonisation in alternatives

This case study examined the approach by one of the world’s leading asset owners to incorporate sustainability, AP4. By implementing measures adapted to the asset class and style of investments, AP4’s team in alternative investments works to both reduce risks and capture opportunities related to the sustainability transformation.

Case study: The challenge of sustainability in real estate

This session examined investors’ role and outlines the importance of a common measurement framework.

Case study: The role of natural capital in decarbonising portfolios

This session examined the portfolio implications of transitioning to net zero with a specific focus on what benefit an allocation to natural capital can bring.

Portfolio alignment: How it influences decision making

This session looked at the unintended consequences of the portfolio alignment metric, and how investors can incorporate forward-looking views into their analysis and how it affects investment decisions.

Previous