The BlackRock logo is seen outside of its offices in New York City.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
BlackRock estimates that the world’s green energy transition will require $4 trillion annually by the mid-2030s, calling for more public-private partnerships, especially in Asia-Pacific.
The forecast comes from BlackRock’s latest “Investment Institute Transition Scenario,” which analyzes how the low-carbon transition is most likely to play out and its potential impact on portfolios.
The $4 trillion figure is double previous expectations of $2 trillion annually, and will require increases in both public and private sector capital, according to Michael Dennis, head of APAC Alternatives Strategy & Capital Markets at BlackRock.
“APAC is really at the center of the energy investment opportunity, and we see this in multiple areas, both in developed markets and emerging markets,” said Dennis, speaking at Singapore’s annual Ecosperity Week last week.
Is the capital out there?
Last year, $1.8 trillion was invested into projects related to the energy transition, up from $33 billion in 2004 with about $19 trillion invested to date, according to data compiled by BlackRock.
“That rate of growth and the amount of capital being invested is in the right direction,” said Dennis, who is responsible for BlackRock’s alternatives business in the region, including across infrastructure, hedge funds and private equity.
“However, while the investment has grown, there’s still an $18 trillion gap to get to where we need to by 2030,” he added.
The capital gap exists across different risk classes: from low risk investments in core energy infrastructure, to higher risk endeavors like late stage venture capital and private equity.
According to Dennis, the funds to meet this gap are out there.
A BlackRock survey of 200 institutional investors last year found that 56% plan to increase transition allocations in the next 1 to 3 years, with 46% saying that navigating the transition is their most important investment priority in the same period of time.
However, making investments come to life in private and public markets will require “alignment between government action, companies and partnerships with communities,” said Dennis.
In terms of public policy, legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, signed in August 2022 in the U.S., have been able to galvanize billions in public funds to be put toward greenhouse reduction projects.
“Beyond that, we need to see policy change around energy pricing and deregulation of energy markets,” said Dennis, adding that in emerging markets, around 60% of needed capital is expected to come from the private sector.
BlackRock identifies blended finance as another key investment driver, particularly among emerging markets. Blended finance is defined as the strategic use of development funds to mobilize additional finance toward sustainable development, according to the OECD.
“Blended finance is really critical, not only for the early stage of projects, but for making [green] assets investable within current portfolio structures,” said Dennis, adding it can help tap trillions in funds from broader capital markets.
Other factors that are needed to reach the world’s green financing goals include developing better talent across different areas of the ecosystem and the shifting of risk frameworks for green project investments, according to BlackRock.
This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes “70 MPH e-bikes” prompting new law changes, recalled Amazon/Walmart e-bikes, Vietnam banning gasoline-powered motorcycles, and more.
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Exxon Mobil reported second-quarter earnings on Friday that declined significantly compared to last year, though the company beat Wall Street estimates as production growth in the Permian Basin and Guyana softened the impact of lower oil prices.
Exxon’s net income fell 23% to $7.1 billion, or $1.64 per share, compared to $9.2 billion, or $2.14 per share, in the same period last year.
Here is what Exxon reported for the second quarter compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
Earnings per share: $1.64 vs. $1.54 expected
Revenue: $81.5 billion vs. $80.77 billion expected
The oil major pumped 4.6 million barrels per day, the highest output for the second quarter since Exxon and Mobil merged more than 25 years ago. Production in the Permian hit a record 1.6 million bpd.
Exxon’s production business posted a profit of $5.4 billion, down 23% from about $7.1 billion in the same period last year on lower oil prices. Its refining business booked earnings of $1.37 billion globally, up 44% compared to $946 million in the year-ago period due to higher refining margins.
Exxon paid out $9.2 billion to shareholders, including more than $4 billion in dividends and $5 billion in share repurchases. The oil major said it’s on pace to purchase $20 billion of shares this year.
Exxon has slashed its costs by $1.4 billion so far this year and $13.5 billion since 2019. It is aiming to cut another $4.5 billion through the end of 2030.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Chevron on Friday reported second-quarter earnings that took a substantial hit due to low oil prices and a loss on its acquisition of Hess Corporation.
The oil major’s net income declined about 44% to $2.49 billion, or $1.45 per share, from $4.43 billion, or $2.43 per share, in the same period last year.
Chevron booked a $215 million loss on the fair value measurement of Hess shares. When adjusted for that charge and other one-time items, Chevron earned $1.77 per share to beat Wall Street estimates.
Here is what Chevron reported for the second quarter compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
Earnings per share: $1.77 adjusted vs. $1.70 expected
Revenue: $44.82 billion vs. $43.82 billion expected
Chevron completed its acquisition of Hess on July 18, after prevailing against Exxon Mobil in a long-running dispute that threatened to blow up the $53 billion deal. An arbitration court rejected Exxon’s claim to a right of first refusal over lucrative Hess assets in Guyana, clearing the way for Chevron to complete the transaction after a long delay.
Chevron expects the deal to begin adding to earnings in the fourth quarter. It also hopes to reduce annual run-rate costs by $1 billion by the end of 2025.
Chevron pumped a record 3.4 million barrels per day worldwide for the quarter, a 3% increase over the same period last year. U.S. production jumped about 8% to 1.69 million bpd compared to the year-ago period, with production in the Permian Basin hitting 1 million bpd. The Hess acquisition will add assets in the Bakken formation and Gulf of Mexico in addition to Guyana.
Chevron’s production business posted a profit of $2.72 billion, down 38% from $4.47 billion in the same period last year due to lower oil prices. Its refining business booked earnings of $737 million, up 23% from $597 million last year on higher margins for product sales.
Chevron paid out $5.5 billion to shareholders in the quarter, including $2.6 billion in share buybacks and $2.9 billion in dividends.