Hydrogen is the clean energy investment that appeals the most to Canadian asset managers, while companies prefer solar, according to a survey carried out for HSBC Holdings Plc.
Interestingly, among 17 options for the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions, the most favored by each group, hydrogen and solar, was among the least liked by the other, a report released Friday showed. The survey conducted by GlobalCapital and Euromoney Data in September involved 91 Canadian equity and bond investors, along with 91 corporate security issuers.
“Issuers in particular are cold to hydrogen because of a perceived lack of communications about the technology and investment opportunities,” Dan Leslie, senior vice president and deputy head of commercial banking for HSBC Bank Canada, said in an emailed response to questions.
Governments, energy producers and carmakers around the world have pointed to hydrogen as pivotal for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions and preventing the worst effects of climate change. That’s triggered a global race to stake claims in what could be a $700 billion business by 2050, according to BloombergNEF.
Companies from any industry can invest in clean energy to reduce their net carbon emissions. The corporate issuers surveyed were from 16 different industries, from Telecoms to food to energy.
Despite their differences, both the asset managers and corporate issuers rank two areas high: energy-efficient buildings and carbon-capture technology.
Source : bloombergquint
