(01 November 2021 – Australia) Commonwealth Bank (CBA) and The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia’s national science agency, have announced they will partner for a public-private study into the impacts of climate change on the finance sector.
The project will bring together CSIRO’s extensive climate science knowledge and CBA’s understanding of climate risks facing the finance industry to identify the critical factors that could shape future environmental and social policies on climate change. The partnership will develop a roadmap to help financial services companies manage and reduce the associated risks.
CBA will provide the CSIRO with anonymised data from the manufacturing, infrastructure, and agriculture sectors for the new data project. CSIRO scientists will use the data to develop sector-based analysis on pathways to net zero and CBA will then overlay economic data to model the impact on the Australian economy more broadly.
Insights from the research will be valuable across the finance sector as aspects, such as data for internally consistent climate change scenarios, are likely to be made accessible in the future.
“The partnership with CSIRO will significantly strengthen the efforts being made by financial institutions and their customers and communities to adapt to climate change. We believe our collaboration with CSIRO will better inform our approach on how to play a leadership role in supporting Australia’s transition to a more sustainable economy” stated CBA CEO Matt Comyn.
“The best scientific insight, combined with our data and insights, means CSIRO and CBA are well placed working together to help businesses understand what risks they face, how they can adapt and what opportunities are available to create jobs and investment in a lower carbon economy” Mr Comyn added.
“Adapting to a changing climate is a competitive advantage for Australia and will build a stronger economy, more jobs, and more resilient communities. CSIRO’s unique climate intelligence, supercharged by Australia’s largest data and AI network, and quantitative analytic capabilities can help financial institutions like Commonwealth Bank navigate an uncertain future” commented CSIRO CEO Dr Larry Marshall.