What drives firms' investment in climate action?

Abstract

"From extreme heatwaves and wildfires to in North America to the deadly flooding in Western Europe and Asia in 2021, the dramatic rise in catastrophic weather events has repercussions for firms. At the same time, cutting emissions sufficiently to limit global warming will require an overhaul of business models. An increasing share of EU firms realise they need to invest to prepare themselves for climate change and the energy transition, but the COVID-19 crisis weakened their ability to do so. Some key findings from the EIB Investment Survey 2021-2022: 58% of European firms say their business is affected by the physical risks of climate change. The share of European firms investing in climate measures was relatively flat in 2021, likely a result of the pandemic. About 46% of EU firms have plans to invest in climate measures in the future, a significant increase from 2020."