Rutland Herald: Rutland Vermont News & Information: "Climate change threatens both the financial returns of the companies we all invest in and the performance of state and U.S. economies as a whole. That is why, as Vermont's state treasurer, I value my participation in the Investor Network on Climate Risk, a group of more than 50 institutional investors that collectively manage more than $3 trillion in assets.
Just as thousands of scientists around the world have come to confront the complexities and environmental threats to the planet from climate change, businesses are beginning to understand the financial risks and opportunities from a warming world. Many have already taken action.
Last year, global renewable energy investments hit another record high, eclipsing $40 billion. The Kyoto Protocol is leading dozens of industrialized countries — and their businesses — to find ways to reduce pollutants that are trapping heat in the atmosphere. The international treaty has spawned a new carbon cap-and-trade program in Europe that rewards companies for reducing emissions. More than 230 million tons of carbon dioxide were traded in the first year, with a value of more than $5 billion.
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