SCR Sustainability and Climate Risk Questions and Answers

A company reduces water usage and increases usage of more expensive resources after regulations become more stringent. This most likely impacts:

A diversified industrial company embarks on a climate transition strategy to invest in a more fuel-efficient airline fleet. To finance the investment, the CSO analyzes sustainable finance instruments and recommends instruments most suitable to issue.

Which of the following financial instruments should the CSO recommend and why?

The CRO for a large agriculture company reviews reference scenarios as part of an annual climate scenario analysis exercise. The CRO creates a transition risk matrix that compares four different scenarios - W, X, Y, Z. Scenarios are compared according to scale of emissions cuts and pace of emission cuts. Scale is depicted as business as usual (BAU) to net-zero. Pace is depicted as orderly to disorderly. The CRO uses this matrix to explain transition risk to the company’s executive members:

How should the CRO rank the reference scenarios from lowest level of transition risk to highest level of transition risk?

A climate scientist is invited to a morning news program to discuss human influence on Earth’s climate. Prior to the program, a producer asserts climate change is a natural process, citing Earth’s historical climate shifts. What example does the scientist most likely provide to highlight human influence on climate?

An insurance firm announces it will adopt sustainable practices. To inform sustainable strategy, a company risk analyst researches climate risk. The analyst reviews how climate risk manifests as financial risk through effects on microeconomic company-level risks on various types of companies and institutions. The analyst also identifies possible opportunities resulting from climate risk. Risks and opportunities are presented to senior management.

Which of the following does the analyst cite as an example of how climate risk affects liquidity risk?

A prominent housing developer plans construction of a small low-carbon-emitting city in an equatorial nation. The developer plans to maximize renewable energy use and estimates daily city summer solar energy generation capacity and load (total electricity demand), in megawatts (MW):

The developer estimates the following for capacity and load:

At 14:00 solar generation is highest at 720 MW

At 20:00 solar generation decreases to 0 MW

At 20:00 load is highest at 980 MW

At 4:00 load is lowest at 380 MW

How should the developer meet additional energy demand while achieving the lowest-carbon-emission goal option?

A senior portfolio analyst at a global asset management firm performs a portfolio review to identify assets that may be affected by climate risk. Preliminary findings show the firm heavily invests in food and beverage companies with high climate risk exposure due to extreme temperatures and droughts. In a report to senior management, the analyst notes the firm can improve portfolio performance by examining physical risk, as the firm currently focuses primarily on transition risk.

Which approach to examining physical risk at the portfolio level should the analyst recommend?

A global cosmetics company surveys consumers. The survey reveals close to 75% of consumers indicate sustainability is an important issue and are willing to change shopping habits to reduce environmental impact. The company responds by establishing a sustainability framework. As part of the process to implement this framework, a company sustainability analyst identifies sustainable investment and disclosure practices.

Which recommendation will the analyst likely make to implement a company sustainability framework?

A senior sustainability consultant at an African think tank explains the complexities of different Earth science systems to a group of ESG practitioners as part of the think tank’s continuing education program.

Which of the following statements by the sustainability consultant accurately describes the Earth’s greenhouse effect?

After launching new large-scale sites for engine testing, a global automaker prepares a GHG inventory report according to the GHG Protocol. An analyst on the sustainability team gathers data for the assessment. The analyst identifies emissions from production processes, previously deemed irrelevant at the corporate level, now constitute over 25% of company aggregated GHG emissions across plant sites.

Which GHG Protocol principle did the company analyst follow?

A senior advisor from a government agency in Southeast Asia proposes a national framework to classify sustainable economic activities, aligned with the EU Taxonomy. The new framework will limit environmental harm and promote sustainable growth. Which EU Taxonomy requirement will the advisor most likely incorporate into the proposed framework?

A large insurance company in South America expands use of climate scenario analysis. The company used RCPs in previous scenario analyses but now hires an actuary with climate expertise to incorporate SSPs in this process.

How can the actuary advise the insurance company use SSPs going forward?

A European commercial bank recently became a signatory to the UNEP FI PRB. To fulfill PRB commitments, the bank CRO emphasizes the need to holistically integrate ESG considerations into lending decisions to reduce long-term risk exposure. Which of the following strategies will the bank most likely adopt going forward?

An oil and gas company aligns strategy and resiliency planning with long-term global climate goals. After conducting a feasibility study, a company climate risk analyst recommends incorporating IEA scenarios into company strategy development. How might the use of IEA reference scenarios improve company strategy planning?

A sustainability analyst at a global commercial bank researches trends surrounding the green loan market in China to develop a new business strategy. The analyst finds green loans are gaining popularity in various sectors due to environmental and financial benefits. If the analyst recommends the addition of green loans to the business strategy, what China market trend most likely supports this decision?

The risk team for a multinational company, that operates and franchises hotel and timeshare properties, prepares talking points for an upcoming business continuity plan meeting. A key area for discussion are the risks that can impact the company’s financial and reputational stability. The team recommends the company conduct climate-related scenario analysis and provides examples of scenarios and their use.

Which of the following is correct for the team to include as part of the talking points?

The climate risk team at a global bank works on a sustainability and climate risk report for a forthcoming company strategy meeting. The meeting will focus on bank goals to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050. Bank leaders will discuss potential risk exposures the bank may face, as well as possible financial systemic effects.

Which of the following is an example of how systemic climate risk can translate into liquidity risk for the bank?

A venture capital coalition integrates ESG considerations into an investment strategy for generative AI startups. An external consultant assesses sustainability risks to align coalition strategy with ESG benchmarks. Which of the following insights will most effectively inform the coalition investment strategy?

A telecommunications corporation issues a green bond to finance energy efficiency improvements for the company’s office space worldwide. The company’s risk management department commissions an independent advisory assessment of the bond to check bond alignment with components of the Green Bond Principles.

What action does the corporation take to align the bond with the “process for project evaluation and selection” component of the Green Bond Principles?

Senior management at a global manufacturer of commercial flooring explores strategies to reduce capital costs and improve company valuation, resulting in a comprehensive sustainability strategy. Management determines all future flooring products will be carbon neutral across their full product life cycle. The risk team is tasked with updating the company ERM framework in accordance with COSO guidelines to include ESG and climate-related risks. The team reviews and updates each of the ERM components.

What action should the team recommend the company take as part of the communication component of the ERM framework?

The CRO of an automobile manufacturer in North America prepares a keynote address on risks in the auto sector over the next decade. The CRO highlights the primary technology risks facing its line of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

At approximately what point will many manufacturers of ICE vehicles experience a significant technology risk?

A fashion company raises an SLL to improve the company ESG score. The sustainability team identifies two sustainability KPIs for finalizing the loan with a financial institution. Which of the following KPIs did the team most likely recommend for the SLL?

A city planning commissioner consults with climate scientists to assess the impact of sea level rise on strategic infrastructure projects. The scientists discuss several climate model projections and indicate sea level rise has a fundamental relationship to GHG emissions, regardless of a specific warming scenario.

How should the scientists describe this relationship?

A climate risk consultant advises an Eastern European central bank. In response to regulatory changes, the bank will incorporate climate-related risks into bank policies. The consultant writes a summary on how central banks incorporated climate-related risks into policies. The summary highlights the Bank of England (BoE) example to demonstrate how the BoE integrated climate-related risks within the bank supervisory scope.

Which of the following BoE practices will the consultant recommend?

An investment bank of a southern African country appoints a task force to assess current climate risk practices. The task force examines the potential of climate change to cause systemic risk at the macro level to inform climate investment strategies. The task force evaluates potential disruption scenarios to the financial system due to climate risk. Which risk type will most likely have the lowest potential to cause systemic risk to the financial system of the country?

A sustainability analyst for a global food and beverage company tracks ESG metrics to report to investors. The analyst meets with company leaders of different business units to explain criteria and indicator types for each ESG component.

To address each component, which metrics will the analyst socialize with company leaders?

To align with industry trends, the risk team at a fashion merchandizing company evaluates the company climate risk framework. The risk team enhances the company climate risk framework by including a list of potential transition risks. Which of the following transition risks does the team most likely include in the framework?

Which of the following technologies is most likely to be viewed by investors as a strategic solution to the decarbonization of high-temperature processes?

Leaders of an energy company meet to address physical and transition risks to company operations. At the meeting, the CRO recommends a strategy to mitigate physical climate risk to the company. Which of the following strategies will the CRO most likely recommend?

A public policy think tank releases a report on global decarbonization pathways. The report describes the relative contribution of each GHG to modern climate change and recommends focusing global efforts on CO2 reduction.

Why would the think tank make this recommendation?

An investment analyst assesses climate-related stranded asset risk for a portfolio of energy companies. The analyst develops a list of companies potentially exhibiting stranded asset risk. After a more granular examination, the analyst summarizes corporate activity in the following table:

The analyst identifies the company with the highest stranded asset exposure for possible divestment. Which company does the analyst recommend for divestment?

A Central American country signs the Paris Agreement to align actions and policies to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C. The country’s environmental agency develops a nationally determined contribution plan that includes domestic, economy-wide, and sector-specific policies. The power generation sector is most comprehensively covered by the plan.

Which policy included in the plan targets the power generation sector?