Integrating pollutant registers for the climate change risk evaluation of industrial companies in Australia, Europe and North America

This paper presents a methodology to develop the integrated climate change transition and physical risk assessment of industrial companies in Europe, Northern America and Australia. There is an increasingly important need for effective large-scale climate change risk assessment solutions with more governments aligning their company reporting regulations with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures recommendations. In this paper, the researchers measure key aspects of climate change risks of industrial firms on the globe and vice versa. The study provides valuable insights into climate risk exposure for companies, investors, and consumers, offering a pioneering approach by integrating data from major international registers.

The authors analyse data from 70,000 companies and their 170,000 plants, which report to fragmented Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers and Greenhouse Gas Reporting Programs. For their assessment, transition risks are measured in terms of reported greenhouse gas emissions, while physical risks calculated for all company plant locations in terms of historical cooling energy needs, flood exposure and photovoltaic power potential. This paper shows that climate change transition and physical risks are not correlated, therefore climate change risks are variably felt across different factors. The research contributes to the evolving landscape of climate risk management and highlights the need for standardized methodologies in the face of impending regulatory changes.