Nov 10 2023, 08:18
Mid-caps can fast-track India's net-zero journey:
Even as India's national priorities focus on rapidly mobilising finance to combat climate change, climate-focused foreign capital has concentrated only on large companies. While this slows down the country's energy transition, addressing a wider base, including mid-caps and hard-to-abate sectors can be the solution.
On a smoggy afternoon in New Delhi earlier this week, a group of finance professionals, capital market experts, philanthropists, and climate activists gathered in a five-star hotel to discuss how a new index that serves as a tool to attract India-specific climate-focused investments can help accelerate the country's net-zero journey.
Investors Council on 'India Mid-Cap Energy Transition Index', the group of experts concurred that such an index— expected to guide capital allocation beyond large, purely renewable energy focused companies to mid-caps and hard-to-abate sectors can help.
Tushar Thakkar, associate partner, Dalberg Advisors, the consultancy firm says "We found that investors want to invest in climate-smart and responsible businesses, but the problem is discoverability. Due to challenges arising from lack of data, non-sophistication of companies, etc., investors are not sure of which companies to choose,".
Dalberg Advisors started addressing this issue in association with the Climate Investment Fund division of the World Bank in August this year.
Experts agree the market really needs such an index. "Yes, there is a need for such energy transition index that could lead to increased allocation to underserved organisations that behave responsibly," says
Saurabh Kumar, vice- president, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, a group that works towards providing easier access to renewable energy in emerging economies.
source:et
Nov 10 2023, 11:06