Lombard Odier at COP28: the re-NATURE hub

During 2015’s landmark COP21 in Paris, the international community agreed to mitigate global warming by slashing net global emissions to zero by 2050. To stay on track to achieve that goal, we will need to have achieved a 50% reduction by 2030.

Taking place with just seven years left to reach that milestone, COP28 was positioned as an opportunity to assess how we’re doing, re-energise the climate agenda, and re-focus priorities, so we can bridge any gaps on the road to halving emissions by the end of the decade.

At the centre of all this is the shift in energy production from fossil fuels to carbon-free alternatives. Meanwhile, special consideration must be given to vulnerable countries with limited resources, so we can ensure these nations have the solutions they need to reduce their emissions without hindering their economic development. COP28 is likely to be looked back on as pivotal to our success. The agreements that were reached, and the momentum that was built, have raised the prospect that 2030 will be a year of celebration, rather than concern.

a net-zero, nature-positive economy.

COP28 was a vital opportunity for global leaders in government, industry, academia, finance, and climate to come together to secure an accelerated plan of action capable of delivering a 50% reduction in global emissions by 2030. 

To support participants in their efforts, Lombard Odier hosted the re-NATURE Hub, an exclusive convening and networking space for global leaders at COP28. Over two half-days, the re-NATURE Hub presented a series of high-level discussions, fireside chats, networking breaks, and taster sessions, where a range of distinctive, globally renowned voices shared their thoughts on the transitions of our Energy, Land & Oceans, Materials, and Carbon systems.

Watch our video on nature's regenerative power here:

On our inaugural Nature Day, food was high on the agenda, as industry experts explored how global food systems can be at the forefront of building a nature-positive economy by converting industrial monocultures into regenerative farms. ‘Regenerative commodities’ – those produced in harmony with nature, rather than at its expense – will lead the biggest economic revaluation of the next 100 years. Agricultural land will go from carbon source to carbon sink, creating new revenue streams for investors. 

Industry day focussed on the exponential growth of electrification, as the world’s energy systems rapidly shift from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy – and on the transition chain reaction this shift is kickstarting across all sectors. The built environment – the world’s biggest asset class – lags all other major sectors in the race to net zero. As regulations begin to impose emissions reduction targets across real estate, and as electrification creates new opportunities to improve buildings’ energy efficiency, investors have an unprecedented opportunity to both benefit from, and drive, the transition to a net-zero economy. 

At Lombard Odier, we position ourselves to capture the investment opportunities surrounding the transition to a Circular, Lean, Inclusive, and Clean (CLIC^®) economy – an economy that puts nature at its centre. We believe that nature is the most transformative technology on Earth. Only healthy and resilient ecosystems can be effective carbon sinks at the scale needed, and biodiversity is the key measure of our planet’s health. Nature-based solutions, including the protection, restoration and sustainable management of our land systems, provide an opportunity for investors to diversify portfolios and minimise their portfolio climate-risk. Innovations in nature-based real assets will help investors realise green alpha while playing a key role in boosting biodiversity and driving the transition to a nature-positive economy.

COP28 was a chance for us to help galvanise action around nature-based solutions, food systems, industry decarbonisation, and infrastructure, while showing investors how developments in these areas will create a net-zero, socially just, nature-positive economy. Because nature is worth investing in.