3 days ago
Are corporates quietly leading India's climate transition? A researcher's perspective
Almost every day, we scroll past at least one news headline about climate change. Yet, how many of us truly grasp the magnitude of the risk it poses, not just to our environment, but to our economies, financial systems, and the corporate world? This is not just an environmental issue; it is a full-blown financial reckoning. And opinions about the depth and breadth of climate-related risks differ markedly across stakeholders, from heads of state and bureaucrats to fund managers and business RISK IS NOW A BUSINESS RISKTake, for instance, an eye-opening survey conducted in 2021 by Professors Johannes Stroebel and Jeffrey Wurgler of the NYU Stern School of 861 finance professionals, regulators, academics, and economists, they found that 73% of private sector professionals believed climate risks are undermined (underpriced) in financial markets, compared to 51% among academicians.
The disparity in perception itself reveals a key challenge -- the market has yet to fully internalise climate risk. But how, one might ask, are climate and finance interlinked in the first place? What does 'climate risk' actually mean in financial terms?Is it merely the spectre of floods, droughts, and natural disasters? Or is there more to the story? The answer lies in the policy shifts playing out on the national is a committed signatory to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has made ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), including a pledge to source 50% of its electricity from non-fossil fuel sources by certainly. But for corporates, these noble climate pledges translate into hard compliance mandates, tighter disclosures, and operational restructuring, in essence, a new breed of operational the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) framework mandated by SEBI for the top 1000 listed companies in must now disclose granular details about their energy consumption, carbon emissions, and sustainability practices. Climate compliance is no longer a corporate social responsibility initiative; it is gradually becoming a strategic pressure doesn't emanate solely from regulators. A more environmentally conscious breed of investors, consumers, and civil society actors are demanding surge in sustainable and responsible investing (SRI) is proof that environmental stewardship now carries market consequences. The upshot of all this?Companies are increasingly exposed to 'transition risk', i.e., the financial and operational fallout from a rapid move toward greener norms, policies, and runs parallel to 'physical risk', the traditional category encompassing the direct impact of climate-related disasters like cyclones, droughts, and extreme these twin risks are reshaping the contours of corporate decision-making in India. To empirically assess this behavioral shift, we conducted a comprehensive study of 1174 listed non-financial firms in India spanning 2005 to aim was simple yet urgent: Are Indian companies adapting to climate risk? If so, how? Our findings, recently published in Energy Economics, offer compelling energy consumption, which accounts for nearly 41% of total national energy usage (MoSPI 2021), is already being recalibrated in response to climate observed that firms facing higher climate vulnerability are significantly reducing their energy consumption. This isn't coincidental but a clear response to regulatory, reputational, and financial this response is asymmetric. Energyintensive firms are leading the charge, likely because they have more to lose from non-affiliated firms (those not part of large business groups) and those with robust corporate governance mechanisms show stronger climate quality plays a crucial role in steering firms toward long-term sustainability strategies, while business group affiliation may cushion the perceived impact of climate threats, thereby dulling the urgency to shift became more pronounced after the 2016 Paris Agreement, marking a tipping point in how Indian firms interpret and respond to climate policy course, reducing energy consumption is not without trade-offs. Firms face a strategic dilemma: inaction invites regulatory penalties and investor backlash, while aggressive energy cuts can impair productivity, output, and EFFICIENCY EMEREGES AS A STRATEGIC BUSINESS RESPONSEOur research reveals that firms are not merely cutting back; they are pursuing a strategic middle path, i.e., improving energy investing in technology upgrades and process optimisation, they are learning to generate more output with the same or lower energy not only mitigates emissions but also improves cost efficiency and long-term resilience. Notably, markets appear to be taking that demonstrate better energy efficiency attract higher valuations, suggesting that capital markets are beginning to reward green behaviour, an encouraging signal for the future of ESG investing in finds itself at a crossroads. As per the ND-GAIN index, it ranks 115th out of 187 countries in climate vulnerability. At the same time, it is poised to become the thirdlargest global over 76% of its energy needs in 2021 were met by coal and crude oil. This dichotomy, between environmental fragility and developmental urgency makes the role of Indian businesses absolutely state alone cannot carry the climate burden. The baton must also be passed to industry, not just to react, but to lead. Our research shows that this leadership is already emerging quietly and unevenly, but undeniably. While global climate diplomacy continues to be marred by political deadlock and insufficient commitments, as evidenced by India's rejection of the $300 million annual climate grant at COP29, terming it 'too little, too late', the real action may be unfolding catalyse this movement, government and regulatory support must keep disclosures, streamlined access to green finance, and predictable policy frameworks are critical to support companies that are willing to walk the talk.(THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CO-AUTHORED BY SHASHANK PRAKASH SRIVASTAV, DOCTORAL SCHOLAR, AND PROFESSOR M. KANNADHASAN, BOTH FROM THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT RAIPUR)- Ends
