Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

BoC scenarios show financial sector exposed to potential climate transition shocks

Bank skyscrapers are seen from Bay Street in Toronto's financial district, on Wednesday, June 16, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrien Veczan Bank skyscrapers are seen from Bay Street in Toronto's financial district, on Wednesday, June 16, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrien Veczan
Share
OTTAWA -

Canada's financial sector could be exposed to significant economic shocks from the transition to lower emissions according to early scenario .

The pilot study isn't meant as a forecast but considers several climate policy scenarios and how they could play out across the Canadian economy. The scenario work, however, does emphasize the immense transitions underway, said Toni Gravelle, deputy governor of the Bank of Canada.

"All scenarios showed that as we globally transition to net zero, some sectors will be significantly impacted, and the economy as a whole will undergo significant structural changes."

Speaking at a media briefing, Gravelle said that the study shows that Canada's banking and insurance industries need to plan carefully for the transition underway.

"For the financial sector, mispricing these climate risks could expose financial institutions and investors to sudden and large losses."

The Bank of Canada and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) say the initiative is an early attempt to better understand the long-term risks posed by the transition away from greenhouse gas emissions, and to assess how well banks and other financial institutions are themselves modelling the risk.

Gravelle said it's clear that both financial institutions and financial authorities are in the early stages of building capacity to better understand the risks and transitions ahead.

Ben Gully, assistant superintendent at OSFI, said that while many institutions are just starting to ramp up efforts, there's still time as the regulator aims to establish resiliency by the end of the decade.

"We have some time, but no time to waste in preparing for 2030."

The report says that Canada is at higher risk of economic impacts from the transition because of significant exposure to commodities that will see price declines as climate policies such as carbon pricing strengthen globally.

The scenarios show that faster action on climate change will lead to a smoother, less risky transition, while modelling for especially abrupt global policy changes showed potential financial-market disorder as Canada's GDP falls 10 per cent lower than where it would be by 2050 compared with the baseline scenario.

The pilot study found that fossil fuel sectors are particularly exposed to risk, though others including crop and livestock sectors would also take a hit, and the electricity sector would get a boost.

One scenario, which looked at moving immediately toward the policies needed to keep warming to two degrees Celsius, found that refined oil producers would see by 2050 a 72 per cent drop in net income and a 450 per cent increase in the possibility of default compared with the baseline, while the crop sector could see a 32 per cent drop and a 141 per cent increase in potential default.

The scenarios, looking at a 30-year timeline, make numerous assumptions and also didn't factor in several key factors such as the physical risks of climate change and how some new technological innovations could change the trajectories.

The report, which was produced in collaboration six financial institutions, found that modelling can take more effort than expected, and is still hampered by spotty access to data.

Gully said that while an early effort, the pilot was a success as it raises awareness of the risks and works towards better understanding the implications.

"Climate scenario exercises like this one make clear the potential impacts of transition risk across a range of different climate pathways."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 14, 2022.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.

A pedestrian has died after reportedly getting struck by an OPP cruiser in Bala early Sunday morning.

Two and a half years after losing her best friend and first love to suicide, Brooke Ford shared her story of grief and resilience at the CMHA Windsor-Essex Suicide Awareness Walk.

opinion

opinion How to make the most out of your TFSA

The Tax-Free Savings Account can be a powerful savings tool and investment vehicle. Financial contributor Christopher Liew explains how they work and how to take full advantage of them so you can reach your financial goals faster.

Local Spotlight

A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.

When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.

A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.

Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.

Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.

A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.

An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.