World may need up to US$20 trillion for renewable energy, HSBC says

HSBC has teamed up with partners to launch a non-profit platform to help emerging markets in upgrading their technology and shifting from oil and coal to renewable energy, according to a senior executive at the lender.

The Green Accelerator Programme, rolled out on Monday with backing from HSBC, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Silk Road Fund and others, will channel private capital into feasibility studies and due diligence for emerging-market companies and governments adopting green technology.

“Geopolitical disruptions such as those in the Strait of Hormuz have accelerated demand for resilient, alternative energy sources,” said Julian Wentzel, chief sustainability officer at HSBC, in an interview with the South China Morning Post.

HSBC has seen an increase in demand for green financing since the US-Israel war on Iran started in late February, which has driven up oil prices and prompted global companies to seek cheaper, more stable energy supplies.

Wentzel said such a trend presented huge opportunities for the banking industry, as companies and governments would need to raise funds to finance up to US$20 trillion in global expenditure over the next five to eight years to establish or upgrade their facilities to use renewable energy or other clean energy.

This included global corporate transition spending, currently estimated at US$2.3 trillion per year and expected to increase to US$3.6 trillion per year by 2030.