AXA Investment Managers told Net Zero Investor today that it has signed up a relatively prominent climate veteran as external member to the advisory committee of its recently launched AXA IM Investment Institute.
Nigel Topping, a policy adviser and former Climate Champion for COP26, will provide advice on climate and share his expertise and insights on a range of topics, including macroeconomics, climate change, biodiversity and natural resources.
Topping was the UN’s High-Level Climate Action Champion for COP26, appointed by the UK Prime Minister in January 2020 and he just finished serving his role with COP27.
Race to Zero
Alongside the COP25 High Level Champion Gonzalo Muńoz, Topping established the Race to Zero – a global campaign to commit all actors to net zero by 2050, the Race to Resilience – a global campaign for secure the resilience of 4 billion people by 2030, and the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) – a coalition of existing and new net zero finance initiatives.
Prior to his appointment, Nigel Topping was CEO of We Mean Business, a coalition of businesses working to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy.
Prior to that he was Executive Director of the Carbon Disclosure Project, following an 18 year career in the private sector, having worked across the world in emerging markets and manufacturing.
Topping was awarded the honour of CMG in Queen Elizabeth's birthday honours list in 2022 and is an Honorary Professor of Economics at Exeter University.
Commenting on the appointment, Chris Iggo, Chair of the AXA IM Investment Institute & CIO of AXA IM Core, said today that “with geopolitical uncertainty, an inflationary environment, and recessions likely, it is essential now, more than ever, for clients and our portfolio managers investing client money to access expert views."
"Topping will bring renowned expertise to help shape our ways of thinking so we can cut through today’s complexities and ensure we’re ahead of future challenges and opportunities for the benefit of investors," Iggo added.
New institute
The recently-established AXA IM Investment Institute seeks to help clients and portfolio managers make "better informed decisions" through insights on the short and long-term trends affecting the global macroeconomic and investment outlook, covering asset class views, macroeconomics, sustainability and future trends.
Topping will attend the advisory committee bi-annually to discuss the key macro and research themes to be covered by the Institute, and to complement the research the AXA IM’s experts already provide.
The committee consists of representatives from across AXA IM’s investment teams and senior members of the Macroeconomic research, ESG research and Quant Lab teams, the company said today.
