BlackRock and Baringa Partners have announced their entry into a definitive agreement for BlackRock to acquire and integrate Baringa’s industry-leading Climate Change Scenario Model into its Aladdin Climate technology. In a press release, both firms pointed out that this new long-term partnership is “a significant milestone” for them, as they collaborate to set the standard for modelling the impacts of climate change and the transition to a low carbon economy on financial assets for investors, banks and other clients.
They will bring together their expertise to develop climate risk models underpinning Aladdin Climate, as well as innovating other climate analytics solutions. Through the partnership, Baringa will use the core Aladdin Climate capabilities as part of its growing global consulting work in advising financial services, governments, regulatory bodies, and clients across all sectors on climate risk and developing net zero strategies.
Both companies believe that, while the reallocation of capital to sustainable investment strategies continues -with over 2.3 trillion dollars of assets under management in sustainability funds globally as of the first quarter of 2021- understanding the potential impacts of climate change and the transition to a low carbon economy on their portfolios remains a complex challenge for investors. With the number of governments and companies making commitments to achieve net-zero continuing to grow alongside increased regulatory requirements for climate-related disclosures, companies and investors alike are seeking solutions to help assess climate risk.
“Investors and companies are increasingly recognising that climate risk presents investment risk. Through this partnership with Baringa, we are raising the industry bar for climate analytics and risk management tools, so clients can build and customise more sustainable portfolios. The integration of Baringa’s models and the ongoing collaboration between our firms will enhance Aladdin Climate’s capabilities, helping our clients understand transition risks in more sectors and regions than ever before”, commented Sudhir Nair, Global Head of the Aladdin Business at BlackRock.
Meanwhile, Colin Preston, Global Head of Climate Solutions at Baringa said that climate change is “the number one challenge and opportunity of our generation”. Having developed the leading Climate Change Scenario Model, they are “excited to partner with BlackRock” to accelerate the adoption of this solution by organisations across the globe. “The integration of Baringa’s Climate Change Scenario Model into BlackRock’s Aladdin platform will inform the reallocation of capital across the global economy, accelerating the transition to net zero”, he concluded.
Baringa developed its market-leading climate scenario modelling capabilities on 20 years of experience. Baringa’s solutions support net zero commitments, TCFD reporting, regulatory reporting, investment and capital allocation strategies, as well as developing climate risk management capabilities. As the leading solution in the financial services sector, Baringa’s Climate Change Scenario Model is informing clients with assets totalling more than 15 trillion dollars; supporting the management of climate risk and the reallocation of capital to achieve net zero.
As for BlackRock, it began developing Aladdin Climate to fill a void in climate risk analytics by creating technology to help clients better understand and mitigate the financial impacts associated with climate change on their portfolios. Aladdin Climate is offered through the Aladdin platform and is used by BlackRock’s Financial Markets Advisory (FMA) group to deliver sustainability advisory services to clients. It measures both the impacts of physical risks, like extreme weather events, and transition risks – such as policy changes, new technology, and energy supply – at the financial instrument and portfolio levels.
For Funds Society, Madrid