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Class/Seminar

SFI Seminar: Assessing Physical Climate Risks: Analysis & Implications of Power Generation Projects

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Event Details:

The Sustainable Finance and Investment Seminar (CEE 157/257), led by Soh Young In, is a 1-unit course which aims to equip the Stanford community with the knowledge and networks required to undertake significant future work on sustainable finance and investment. The class explores multiple disciplines of sustainable finance, featuring talks by Stanford faculty and guest speakers. The course is open to students, faculty, and staff in the Stanford community. CEE 157/257 meets every Friday from 8:30 - 9:20 am PST (with noted exceptions) during fall quarter (Remote: Synchronous).

October 14: The demand for information on the implications of physical climate risk is increasing. However, it remains challenging to cost-effectively quantify physical climate risks of power generation assets, including those in the loan and equity portfolios. Current mainstream climate risk data and service providers seem to cluster around two seemingly opposed approaches: expensive, site-by-site comprehensive assessments from the bottom up versus affordable, portfolio-level light-touch assessments in bulk. There is a "missing middle" of cost-effective methodologies and tools that can translate physical climate hazards, exposure, and vulnerability into risk.

In this talk, Lihuan Zhou from the World Resources Institute will discuss two working papers of assessing physical climate risks of power generation projects, one focusing on water risks for thermal power plants in India and the other on a relative comprehensive analysis for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's power generation project investment portfolio.

Lihuan Zhou is an Associate with WRI's Sustainable Finance Center, where he mainly works on the Sustainable Investing Initiative and conducts research to advance sustainable investment practices in the private sector. He also contributes to the Center's work focused on cross-border investments from China.

Open to all students, faculty and staff in the Stanford community. RSVP for Zoom access (Registration required. Please use your Stanford email address.)