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Why 2023 could be boom or bust for ESG

Ninety One’s Nazmeera Moola: 'A recession would pose difficult questions about what to prioritise and there are obviously issues that need to be dealt with right now'

The ESG industry faces its share of challenges heading into the new year — one of the biggest being a global recession, which threatens to derail decarbonisation efforts
The ESG industry faces its share of challenges heading into the new year — one of the biggest being a global recession, which threatens to derail decarbonisation efforts Photo: Thomas Trutschel/Getty Images

Financing the green transition for emerging markets represents the biggest untapped opportunity for investors in 2023, according to industry experts, but an impending recession could see the ESG agenda shoved on the back burner.

Major economies will largely be on the hook for the estimated $100tn bill to fund the global transition to net zero by 2050 since developing countries are ill-equipped and too cash-strapped to fund renewable energy and infrastructure projects due to the knock-on impacts of extreme weather events amid rising borrowing costs.

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