When we think about climate change and pollution, we usually think about oil-soaked birds, fossil gas platforms in the Arctic or black smoke rising above coal plants. We never think about banks, insurers and investors. But we should. Because money is a driving force beyond fossil fuel extraction and environmental destruction.
当我们谈到气候变化与污染时, 通常我们想到的是满身石油的鸟, 北极的化石天然气开采平台, 或者燃煤工厂上空升起的黑烟。 我们从来不会联想到银行、 保险业与投资者。 但我们应该去想一想。 因为钱其实是化石燃料开采 和环境破坏的幕后推手。
The most polluting sector on the planet is not fossil fuels. It's finance.
在这地球上造成污染最大的行业 并非化石燃料行业, 而是金融业。
Sure, you've heard banks are increasingly putting money into green projects, and yes, they are financing green projects, but they are doing it on top of new polluting oil, coal and gas projects. I have been looking at the math for a decade, and it's still a green droplet in the ocean of pollution. I started to campaign to protect the environment and human rights when I was at university, and I cannot count how many times I've heard financiers telling me, "Sorry, we need coal." Sometimes they said, "We can make it clean." Mostly I've heard, "It's impossible. There is nothing we can do."
当然,你应该听说了银行 在环保项目上投的钱越来越多。 的确,银行确实是在 资助绿色能源项目, 但银行在做这些的同时, 它们也在资助会污染环境的 石油、煤炭和天然气新项目。 过去十年里, 我一直在追踪计算这些数据。 但它仍然只是像在一片污染的大海中 滴入一滴绿色水滴。 在读大学的时候, 我开始发起活动, 呼吁保护环境与人权。 我已经数不清有多少次金融家同我说: “对不起,我们需要煤炭。” 有时他们会说: “我们可以将它变干净。” 大多数时候我听到的是: “这不可能。 我们无能为力。”
Rather than be discouraged, that gave me the strength to prove them wrong. But how does someone like me, with a small group of partners, take on the big banks and insurers? Well, we start by making smart demands. Then we incentivize action. And finally, we add a spoonful of blackmail that I like to think of as a friendly nudge.
我并没有泄气。 反而这激发了我去证明他们错了。 然而像我这样的人, 只有很少一部分的同行者, 该如何去对抗大银行与保险业呢? 我们要先提出 “聪明”(SMART)需求。 然后我们激励行动。 最后,我们再加一点点“勒索”。 当然,我把它当做友善的轻推助澜。
(Laughter)
(笑声)
When we set out to solve the issues of the world, we might want too much at once. The end of poverty, a peaceful world, a healthy planet. But how do you climb an unscalable mountain one step after another? The most important thing is to identify the SMART demand. Smart as in S.M.A.R.T. Something that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Something that you can realistically achieve based on the resources you have, your target and the balance of power between you and your target. You don't want something that requires more than 12 to 18 months to achieve because you will lose momentum. Victory sells, defeat does not. However, you don't want your objective to be too easy, either, because if it's too easy, it's not likely to change anything in the way the system works. And we want the system to change. So you want your objective to be disruptive and transformative to bring you closer to your final goal.
当我们开始着手 解决世界的问题时, 我们可能一次性想要太多。 我们想要终结贫困、 世界和平 和一个健康的地球。 但是我们应该如何 一步步攀登这座无法逾越的高山呢? 最重要的事是 找到 SMART(聪明)需求。 SMART(聪明) 就是 S.M.A.R.T。 这个缩写代表的是明确具体的(S), 可衡量的(M),可达成的(A), 相关的(R)和有时限的(T)。 它是根据你手上的现有资源、 你的目标、你与目标之间的力量平衡, 而能够实际达成的目标。 你不应该设定一个需要 12 个月至 18 个月才能达到的目标, 因为你会失去动力。 只有成功才有卖点, 失败是没有的。 但你也不应该设定 太过简单的目标。 因为太过简单的话, 它便不会为体制带来 任何实质改变。 我们希望改变体制。 你的目标应该是具有颠覆性的, 可以带来实质改变的, 进而拉近你与最终目标的距离。
For the past 10 years, my goal has always been the end of all financing of all fossil fuels. But back in 2013, even the idea that banks could automatically reject a whole sector of the economy appeared as crazy and was not open for discussion. So at that time, a smart objective was to convince one bank to withdraw from one project. And it didn’t take me long to come across one of the most insane projects: a huge coal mine that could open the way to eight other coal projects and destroy the Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO site. This was Alpha Coal mine in Australia, supported by French bank Societe Generale. Our first SMART objective was to get this bank out of this project, and we succeeded after a year of relentless campaigning. Today --
过去十年里, 我的目标始终是 终结所有对化石燃料的投资, 2013 年的时候, 银行可以自动拒绝 我们经济体中的一整个行业, 这件事听起来太不可思议了, 大家也无法公开谈论这个话题。 那个时期,“聪明”目标是 劝说一家银行退出一个项目。 可是没多久我就遇到了 最疯狂最荒唐的项目之一: 一个大型煤矿计划。 它可以为其他八个煤矿计划铺路, 并且摧毁一处联合国教科文组织 世界遗产——大堡礁。 这就是澳大利亚的 阿尔法煤矿项目。 它由法国兴业银行 (Societe Generale)赞助。 我们的第一个聪明目标 就是让这家银行退出这个项目。 经过一整年夜以继日的努力, 我们成功了。 今天,
(Applause)
(掌声)
Today, the coal of the Alpha Coal mine is still in the ground.
直至今日,阿尔法煤矿项目中的煤 仍旧未被开采。
And from there, we moved on to our second objective. To get French banks to commit not to finance any of the projects located in the same basin of the Alpha Coal mine.
从那以后,我们就 前进到了第二个目标, 让法国各银行承诺不会赞助 与阿尔法煤矿项目处于同一盆地的 任何其他项目。
We succeeded, moved on to our third objective, to get French banks to commit not to finance any new coal mines, any new coal plants worldwide. We did one bank, two banks, three banks, four banks, until we convinced all French banks, the fourth-biggest banking sector worldwide, to reject all project financing for the coal sector.
我们成功了, 然后前进到第三个目标, 让法国各银行承诺在世界范围内 不会赞助任何新的煤矿 以及任何新的燃煤发电厂。 我们得到了一家银行的承诺, 两家,三家,四家, 最后我们说服了全法国所有的银行。 全世界第四大的银行部门, 拒绝了所有煤矿部门的资助项目。
(Applause)
(掌声)
And from there, we carry on until reaching our final goal: to get French financial institutions, not only the banks but also the insurers, investors, AXA and Amundi, to exit from the coal sector entirely. Not just say "no" to projects, but also to companies with existing coal operations. This goal seemed completely impossible a few years ago, and yet it's currently happening. Today, six trillion dollars of assets managed by French financial institutions are covered by a coal exit policy.
从那以后,我们继续向前进发, 直至到达到我们的终极目标: 使法国所有的金融机构, 不仅仅是银行, 还有保险行业、 投资者、安盛(AXA) 以及东方汇理(Amundi) 完全退出煤矿部门。 不仅仅是对项目说“不”, 还包括那些已经在开采煤矿的公司。 几年前这个目标听起来遥不可及, 但现在它正在进行中。 如今,由法国金融机构管理的 六兆美金的资产 投保了“退出煤矿险”。
It helps if we think from the position of the person we try to convince. It will make my life a lot easier if my job was to convince every banker of the moral necessity to stop financing fossil fuels. But that's not my job. My job is to make sure they stop no matter the reasons. As campaigners, our first responsibility is to think who needs to be convinced, what kind of arguments are they likely to listen to the most. Bankers, insurers, these people don't live in a bubble. They have seen the fires and the floods of the past months, and as many of us, most of them are getting worried for themselves and for their kids. But the world is driven by digits, ruled by a system that demands profits.
如果我们站在我们试图说服的对象的 角度去换位思考,会很有帮助。 如果我的工作是说服每个 银行从业者在道德层面上 停止资助化石燃料, 我的生活会容易太多。 但那并不是我的工作。 我的工作是确保他们无论如何 都要停止资助。 作为活动家, 我们的首要责任是去思考 谁是我们需要去说服的对象, 以及他们最可能 听得进去的论点是什么。 银行从业者,保险从业者, 这些人没有生活在泡泡里。 像我们中的很多人一样, 在过去的几个月里, 他们见过大火和洪水, 他们中的大部分人正在为 他们自己以及他们的孩子焦虑。 但是这个世界 是由金钱驱动的, 是由一个利润需求的系统统治的。
So when I meet with the head of investment of a big financial institution, I don't bang on the table and say, "Our planet is on fire," which it is. I say, "Have you thought about your long term risk profile? The project that your client is developing might be forced to close down because of a new climate regulation or because a green alternative has become cheaper. Not only you might not profit from it, but you might actually lose money."
所以当我与这些大的金融机构的 投资部门领导见面时, 我不会敲着桌子说:“我们的地球 正处在水深火热之中。”虽然这就是事实。 我会说:“你有思考过 你的长期风险概况吗? 你的客户正在发展的项目 有可能会因为新的气候管理政策 而被迫关停, 也有可能因为其他绿色能源替代项目 而变得不值钱。 你有可能不仅无法从中获益, 还会因此赔钱。”
Bankers and financial institutions are slowly realizing that this climate issue is something they need to care about. If they don't deal with it, climate change will deal with them.
银行从业者与金融机构 正在逐渐意识到 气候问题 是他们需要去关注的。 如果他们不去处理气候问题, 气候变化以后会处理掉他们。
(Applause)
(掌声)
Yet even the argument of the financial risk doesn't always hit the mark. But there is one argument which is stronger than any other: the reputational risk. Financial institutions spend millions and millions to appear as green as possible, and they would not want that good PR money to go to waste. A good reputation takes years to build, but it can be lost in a week. And we can use that to our advantage. If you don't do the right thing and have your dirty financing revealed, you might lose clients, current employees, new talents. Where will your next generation of employees come from if people feel embarrassed to come work for you?
但是连金融风险的论点 也不是每次都会奏效的。 但有一个论点, 比其他的都要强: 商誉风险。 金融机构花了数百万美金 让它们看起来尽可能绿色环保。 他们不希望将花在公关上的 大把钱财付之东流。 好的商誉往往需要数年 才能积累起来, 但是只需要一周, 它就足以被毁掉。 我们可以利用这一点。 如果你不想做对的事情, 不去揭露航脏的资助计划, 你就有可能会失去客户、 现有的员工和未来的人才。 如果人们觉得为你工作很丢脸, 那你以后的员工从哪里来呢?
Once I wrote a report about a big French bank's hypocrisy on climate. This bank had stopped financing coal mines and claimed it was for climate reasons. But the same bank was actively supporting the building of new coal plants. What a hypocritical stand, right? So I wrote the report, but I didn't publish it straight away. Instead, I sent it to the bank and gave them two options. Either I can throw the report away, or I could send it to the press, depending on the bank's decision to meet my demands after a specific deadline and stop financing coal plants on top of new coal mines.
我曾经针对一个大型法国银行的 “气候伪善”写过一篇报道, 这家银行已经停止资助煤矿, 并声称是这样做是为了气候。 但是这家银行却非常积极地 支持燃煤发电厂的建设。 这样的立场非常伪善,对吗? 所以我写了报道, 但并未直接刊出。 我反而将它寄给了银行, 并给他们两个选项。 我可以扔掉这篇报道 或者把它发给媒体。 这就要看银行是否能在 一个明确的截止日期前 满足我的要求: 除了不去资助煤矿, 还要停止资助燃煤发电厂。
(Laughter and applause)
(笑声和掌声)
It's not a ransom, not a trap. Just a friendly nudge. I'm only here to help. As long as the bank is ready to consider my demands and give it a try.
这不是勒索,不是陷阱。 这就是友善地轻推一把。 我只是来帮忙的, 只要银行准备好考虑我的要求 并且为此一试。
(Laughter and applause)
(笑声和掌声)
We help by providing information and data, sometimes better than private data providers. And we are not just here to mourn and criticize. When things are headed in the right direction, we are all supportive. And when finally, financial institutions publicly commit to withdraw from a polluting sector, we celebrate.
我们协助提供信息和数据, 有时我们所提供的会好于 私人数据提供商所提供的。 我们不只是来哀悼和批判的。 如果事情向着正确的方向前进, 我们全力支持。 最后,当金融机构公开承诺 会退出造成环境污染的行业之时, 我们会庆祝。
In less than 10 years, 25 global financial institutions are phasing out coal financing for good. In 2017, AXA was the first insurer to stop insuring new coal projects and stop investing in companies that developed new coal plants. In 2019, Crédit Agricole became the first global bank to adopt a comprehensive coal exit policy. Step by step, we are climbing this unscalable mountain, and it's working. Today, coal companies are struggling to secure the financing and the coverage needed for their operations. Today, the small group of people has become a much bigger crowd, and these people are taking on European, American and Asian financial institutions. It's no longer only about coal, but also about oil and gas. To decarbonize finance, to solve the climate issues is not just about voting with your wallet and moving your money to an ethical bank. It's about joining these people and marching through the front doors of big banks and insurers to demand the impossible.
在不到 10 年的时间里, 25 家全球性金融机构 逐步永久性退出资助煤矿项目。 2017 年,安盛成为首家停止接受 新煤矿计划投保的保险公司。 安盛也停止投资 那些开设新燃煤发电厂的公司。 2019 年,法国农业信贷银行 (Crédit Agricole) 成为首家采取全面退出 煤炭政策的全球性银行。 一步步地, 我们正在攀登这座 高不可攀的山峰, 并且是行得通的。 如今,煤炭公司很难取得 运营所需的资金与保险。 如今,那一小部分人 已经变成了更大的一群人。 而这群人正在对峙 欧洲的、美洲的和亚洲的金融机构。 我们所针对的也不再只是在煤炭, 还有石油和天然气。 为了通过金融来实现去碳化 进而解决气候问题, 大家需要做的不是 仅仅用你的钱包投票, 将你的钱挪到更有伦理的银行, 重要的是要加入这群人, 向前行进,走进大银行和 保险行业的大门 提出不可能的要求。
Thank you.
谢谢。
(Applause)
(掌声)