As the long-term custodians of trillions of dollars in retirement funds, institutional investors have a fiduciary duty to deliver sustainable returns for their beneficiaries. Unless climate change is addressed in an orderly and just way, future investment returns are likely to be threatened.

One of the most significant challenges in addressing climate change will be financing the transition to net zero emissions in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), many of which must manage the dual challenge of decarbonising their electricity, transport and industrial systems while continuing to drive ongoing social and economic development.

This paper provides a summary of the barriers and opportunities for Australian superannuation funds to invest in climate solutions in EMDEs, concluding with a series of recommendations. To assess the topic, IGCC conducted a series of stakeholder interviews, supported by desktop research. This paper covers climate solutions broadly but focuses largely on renewable energy (RE), given the need to rapidly increase investment in RE in EMDEs and the relative maturity of this technology.