Leading finance firms sign up to Mark Carney forum on low-carbon investment

Barclays, HSBC and Axa among 160 firms in global alliance to hasten transition to net zero economies

Banks and financial institutions with more than $70tn assets have pledged to cut their greenhouse gas emissions and ensure their investment portfolios align with the science on the climate.

In the initiative, chaired by Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, 160 companies, including 43 banks from 23 countries, will set targets to cut the carbon content of their assets by 2030, in line with an overall goal of net zero emissions by 2050.