University of Exeter partnership | RBC BlueBay Asset Management

In 2022, RBC GAM began a partnership with the Exeter Sustainable Finance Centre, within the University of Exeter Business School, to support an innovative new research programme.

The RBC Global Asset Management Sustainable Investment Research Programme, led by Professor Chendi Zhang, Associate Dean for Research and Impact (Business School), Professor of Finance and Director of Exeter Sustainable Finance Centre, looks at how climate risk exposure and sustainable investment more generally affect the risk-return trade-off of assets.

The programme provides academic leadership, as well as a credible and visible evidence base for the development of new initiatives, to enhance understanding of the ways in which climate risk and sustainability may affect investment returns.

Dr. Chenyan Lyu, Research Fellow in Sustainable Investment at University of Exeter Business School, is currently conducting research on carbon pricing. Her papers discuss the role of internal carbon pricing in driving carbon emissions reductions and the transition to a low-carbon economy. Seeking to address knowledge gaps in this area and consider the implications for carbon markets, it provides insight into whether internal carbon pricing can act as a lever for enabling the transition to a low-carbon economy.

As a firm, we assess material ESG risks and opportunities as part of the investment processes for applicable portfolios. In an increasingly complex economic landscape, where environmental and social factors may have a greater potential impact on risk or return, the programme is designed to help us better understand these risks and opportunities.

Hear more about our partnership

RBC Global Asset Management and the University of Exeter are taking a collaborative approach to research into sustainable investment. The research programme looks at ESG risks and opportunities, particularly those related to climate, to understand more on what investors should consider when they’re looking at issuer companies.

Professor Chendi Zhang, Associate Dean for Research and Impact (Business School), Professor of Finance and Director of Exeter Sustainable Finance Centre, Dr. Chenyan Lyu, Research Fellow in Sustainable Investment at University of Exeter Business School, and Melanie Adams, Managing Director & Head, Responsible Investment at RBC Global Asset Management, share more.

Watch expert insights

Dr Chendi Zhang and Dr Chenyan Lyu provide further insights, looking at sustainable investments and providing an explainer for internal carbon pricing.