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Investors’ reactions to Copenhagen

7th January 2010 Print

Almost half of investors in a recent survey said they thought December's landmark climate change conference in Copenhagen would have no effect either on the environment or on stockmarkets.

Throughout December, users of F&C's investment trust website were asked the question ‘What effect will the Copenhagen Climate Conference have on the environment and global stockmarkets?'. But while 42.6% were dismissive of the possibility of real change resulting from the conference, 20.4% were more optimistic, saying they thought it would be beneficial both for the environment and for markets. A further 18.5% saw benefits for the environment alone, with 11.1% saying the conference would boost stockmarkets but not help the planet. A pessimistic 7.4% felt Copenhagen would be detrimental to both the economy and markets.

The survey was the latest in F&C's Question of the Month series, which seeks the views of private investors on hot topics in the market.

A small number of respondents also left comments, some of which quite neatly summed up the two poles of the debate. While one investor said the conference "is indispensable for the environment and will help the stockmarket by creating and enhancing new business," another commented: "Copenhagen was just a big freebie party for politicians".

Mike Woodward, head of investment trusts at F&C Investments, commented: "Even if Copenhagen has no direct effect on the markets, climate change is a growing investment theme, as shown by the current scramble between the major utility providers to build offshore wind farms around the British coast."