Climate Change, Propaganda and Conflict of Interest.

The price and scarcity of energy now, in comparison to even 20 years ago when in abundance and cheap, deserves more than a cursory glance at how we ended up in this position.

We need to get used to already huge, but still growing, power prices, heavy industry blackouts (great for an economy on a precipice) and even household blackouts.

I still remember well an elective subject in my 1st year at University, called “The Ecological Development of Man” (today would say “people”). “Technology flourished because energy was cheap”, underpinned the Industrial Revolution and all development since.

After 40 years in research and advertising, I have learned a thing or two about propaganda – no, not some social narrative for a radical and nasty political position. Rather, the influence on and movement of, broad social attitudes and beliefs in the population.

Growing up in Caloundra, on the Sunshine Coast, instilled in me a love of the ocean and the environment in general. I have always been an “environmentalist”, long before it became such a strong topic of public interest. I can remember when people didn’t give stuff about littering and polluting.

My initial career choice was to be a Marine Biologist, but in 1980 jobs were virtually non- existent, outside of academia.

There is no doubt the human population has had a poor to devastating impact upon the environment. (Though “Climate Change” is only one area of concern, it receives the most coverage and support.)

The ”propaganda “ to change the zeitgeist, where now concern for the environment is top of mind, is definitely a good thing. When I first moved to Sydney, the fishing in Sydney harbor was said to be “doubly better” than most ?other places in NSW – the fish had two heads. But seriously, the harbor was terribly polluted. It was only public pressure that “forced” politicians to focus on not just the harbor, but the environment and pollution in general. (Watch the great ABC comedy “Yes Minister/Prime Minster” – if the civil service wants to win their argument, they need only say “there are votes in it.”)

I could go on for a “month of Sunday” listing all the positive initiatives over the past 20 years which have benefited the environment.

BUT now we have Climate Change. It has become a religion. From individuals worth billions trying to buy power companies to shut down their coal mining (“let them eat cake”), through to so many businesses ?which now advertise they are, or headed towards, being carbon neutral.

Want a “fight” at a dinner party? Just utter “I think climate change is bullshit” and watch the crowd ignite like a stick of dynamite. It has become a “not negotiable” position – we MUST reach “net zero” by 2050 (Though I doubt many would know what “net zero” means.).

Climate change is not fantasy, it is fact. But how the developed world, in particular, chases net zero with no consideration of its impact on the majority of the world’s population, is an issue rarely, if ever addressed.

The goal of net zero by 2050, a goal both major parties took to the recent election, seems to be not negotiable. A “done deal”.

Climate change is not in doubt. But how far has it really gone, how bad is it and are we now facing a genuine, imminent climate emergency? The level of propaganda over the past decade or so makes such a question seem to be blasphemous . It is hard to estimate the genuine level of agreement within both the scientific community and the population. What proportion of people genuinely wonder, but are cowed into silence?

Our school and university students have been inundated with propaganda – as Abraham Lincoln said, “the philosophy of the school room in one generation determines the philosophy of government in the next.” (The teachers and tertiary lecturers know this well, as did Antonio Gramsci ?way back in the early 1900s).

In 2008 I spoke at length to a Professor of Geophysics. (I cannot name him or the university at which he was on the academic board) He told me about the ground swell of propaganda that had already swept over academia. Tenure is the goal of most academics – gain a lecturing and research position, preferably at a well- regarded university. To obtain tenure, publication of articles in peer reviewed academic journals is a prerequisite. I was stunned to be told that publication of an article that did not support the “climate change and emerging catastrophe” theory was all but impossible!

“Look at the science” is the familiar cry. This from the population who are overwhelmingly scientifically illiterate. In 1977, 78 & 79, at the University of Queensland’s Biology Department (was and still is one of the premier biology departments in the world) we studied the impending mini-ice age. How has this has now become a global warming crisis ? - not science, but propaganda at work?

Professor Peter Ridd, a highly regarded Geophysicist was fired from James Cook University for his criticism of a study conducted by 2 Marine Biologists. His dismissal was for being “non-collegiate”, not for being wrong. A typical?example of what happens to anyone, irrespective of their credentials and whether they are correct, who goes against the overwhelming narrative.

“Peter Ridd has lived by the Great Barrier Reef for most of his life. He knows it and he loves it. Nothing is so important than its protection and preservation. For more than three decades the Reef and the marine region of which it is a key part have been central to his scientific research.

The conclusion of this measured, evidence-based study is that it is essential that the health and vitality of the Reef and its environs should be jealously protected. Equally,?there is little in its present condition, analysed in the perspective of more than half-a-century, to warrant the alarm and even hysteria which too often mark any discussion or debate about the Reef and the policies promoted by governments purportedly to safeguard its well-being.”

Putting aside the credibility of the science at play, the religious pursuit to eliminate fossil fuels, even as transitional, fails to address.

·?????Renewables ?(hydro, sun& wind) account for only 24% of Australia’s energy needs).?Irrespective of how much some people protest, renewables will NEVER fill the gap. 20th century technology will not answer a 21st century problem.

·?????Hydrogen is the one of the great hopes. The European Commission estimates?between?€180 billion and €470 billion?will be needed before green hydrogen can make up ?just 13-14% of the EU energy mix in 2050 .

·?????Hydrogen is still in its infancy, and only at the point where it requires large amounts of energy (fossil fuels) to convert to energy. It is difficult to contain and highly dangerous. One of the most explosive natural substances, it is invisible when burning.

·?????So what will take the place of fossil fuels to fill the huge void? Sunshine and wind are free, but using them as power sources is not, in fact far from it. A decade of huge power price rises is from the subsidies of renewables, not the cost of fossil fuels. (Coal still accounts for 60% of Australia’s power).

·?????Particularly, high net worth individuals, have invested huge money ?to demonize coal and promote renewables as a viable alternative. (Teals).?Not a word about nuclear, only the renewables from which they gain huge financial rewards. ?A conflict of interest?

·?????The ?huge potential financial windfall of finance for smaller, less developed countries.

·?????Why, in Australia with the world’s largest uranium deposits, is nuclear energy not being considered as an enormously efficient, cheap, and almost limitless source of power, that has no CO2 emissions.? (Chernobyl was 26 years ago, in a low - tech Russian facility. The Fukushima plant was built near an ocean with a high probability of earthquake tsunamis and the 1979 3 Miles Island incident - “Released some radioactive gas a couple of days after the accident, but not enough to cause any dose above background levels to local residents.”

·?????France has the “cheapest” electricity in Europe, mostly derived from nuclear power.

The push for a majority of electric vehicles by 2030 is equally as fanciful. If you live, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, next time you are caught in a peak (3 hour) traffic jam, have a look around and imagine how most of these vehicles will be electric in just over 7 years?

The new Government has a Climate Change Minister. Then again, they have a Minster for Women, when no person of any political significance can answer the question “What is the definition of a woman?” Like something from Monty Python or Faulty Towers “let me introduce you to the minister responsible for, people we can’t define.”

The success of The Teals at the recent election is a significant indicator of strong public concern, though their electorates are not representative of the population. (Hence the “let them eat cake” quote).

What we are witnessing, are political and ideological solutions to a problem of physics and engineering. The emotion dominating the logic.

I am sure this article will cause much gnashing of the teeth, even outrage. I probably run the risk of being “cancelled” by many large companies with “highly developed” social policies. So be it. I am from a generation that places freedom of speech and thought above all else. (Within basic common- sense constraints, not the MeToo fanaticism who want to cancel Picasso). The following is an article by Graham Hand that should be compulsory reading by all who believe we must reach net zero by 2050, without any consideration of the impact and possible alternative solutions:

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Is then fossil fuel narrative simply too convenient?

Graham Hand??|??02 Jun 2022Text size??????|??

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The impact of climate change and the need to move away from fossil fuels is infinitely nuanced. In the 2022 Federal Election, there was a swing to a faster climate change agenda with strong support for The Greens and 'teals'. Then AGL, the country's heaviest carbon emitter, was prevented from demerging its power generation assets by the judgement of Mike Cannon-Brookes and other shareholders that the move would slow the closure of its coal-fired sites. Into this mix comes a $100 billion fund manager, GQG Partners, saying the energy transition may take up to 60 years and it is immoral to underinvest in fossil fuels.

Many portfolio managers privately believe their businesses are too extreme in their anti-fossil stance. In the investment industry where everyone seems to fall over each other to show their green credentials, it is a refreshing change when someone is willing to go on the record to put the other side, not simply whisper in the corridors of their offices.

GQG has some support in Canberra and Perth. Both the new Resources Minister, Madeleine King, and Western Australian Premier, Mark McGowan, are backing the $16.5 billion Scarborough gas project. King said gas has an “important role in the transition to a decarbonised world” and the Government will not support a ban on fossil fuel projects.

It's all about the timing

The prevailing view is that immediate action is needed to prevent catastrophic climate change. The majority of fund managers have adopted strong ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) principles front and centre, and large superannuation funds compete to divest from fossil fuels the quickest. No doubt a motivation is to satisfy their investors and members, as most surveys show climate change is a major issue Australians expect leaders to act on.

An example of the policy intensity on fossil fuels soon surfaced after the election. Dr Monique Ryan, the conqueror of Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, said she wants a 60% emissions reduction target by 2030, much higher than Labor’s current 43% level. She said Anthony Albanese needs to be “…?prepared to come to the table on effective and immediate action”. Maybe Mr Albanese is not quaking in his boots now he has a majority in the Lower House.?

The reality of a long transition from fossil fuels

GQG Partners held its first Annual General Meeting on 27 April 2022 following its listing on the ASX in October 2021. Rajiv Jain is the Executive Chairman, Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager at GQG. At the AGM, leading activist Stephen Mayne asked the following question:

“Executive Chair Rajiv Jain made some very strong comments at a forum in February saying that reducing investment in fossil fuels was elitist and immoral because of the impact it could have on developing economies ... can Rajiv update shareholders on what responses to these comments have been from stakeholders?”

Good question, so what exactly had Jain said? Speaking at a Portfolio Construction Forum on 23 February 2022, in a presentation with the provocative title of ‘Growth managers that lack energy may be left out in the cold’, Jain said (with some paraphrasing):

“We believe that investors have always made a bit of an ideological call not to invest in fossil ... Like so many times, there's a narrative that is convenient, but most of the time, the narrative takes a life of its own and becomes too strong a belief which ultimately tends to negatively impact returns. And I think if you look at the energy side, we believe that the narrative seems to be way too convenient.”

The devil is in the detail, said Jain, as the transition is much longer and more complex.

“Because if we choke off capital to fossil, whether it's oil and gas, coal, and so on, the narrative is that we would be better off. Well, it's ideological, there's no commercial merit to it. And the reason is that if you don't do anything with demand, choking off or reducing supply will only create a crisis ... The biggest problem on the energy front is capex, as the vast majority of banks are under pressure not to lend to the oil and gas industry. And capex has gone down by almost 40% over the last seven or eight years, which is very different to 2010 when everybody believed in the commodity supercycle, Chinese urbanisation and emerging market growth.”

(Published with the permission of GQG Partners and Portfolio Construction Forum)

Jain explained how the free cash flow from many high-quality energy companies, such as Exxon, has risen rapidly, but investors are missing the opportunity that will last a long time.

“We feel that investors are making non-commercial decisions, because these energy transitions last, if you look at human history, they last decades. And in those transitions, you need companies that are part of the solution, not part of the problem. So we should squeeze out bad players, bad actors, but some of the good actors are needed because otherwise you'll get an energy crisis. In fact, you're seeing demand for coal going up and coal prices have gone up because ironically, there's a gas shortage when the wind didn't blow (in Europe), and we were having power shortages. They've been forced to actually import more coal and so we might be having a perverse outcome if we're not careful. Our job is to find companies that are good that are truly part of the solution, which will allow us to make the transition to clean a better world. We feel a lot of growth managers have become too complacent. In fact, 65% to 70% of global growth managers have no energy.”

Jain argues that forcing fossil fuel companies into private equity hands is the worst outcome as their business practices will move away from the gaze of active managers in the listed, regulated space. Aspirations for 2030 are ahead of what is technically possible to meet energy demand.

“I think that's the sad part, that it'll take a long time to truly transition. This transition could last 40, 50, 60 years. And the question is, to what extent will it be successful, because we need to find a lot of other commodities to make that transition. As you know, electric vehicles are six times more copper-intensive. Well, we need to find a lot of copper to be able to make the transition. So we feel buying better companies, trying to lean on management to get their act together and be better corporate citizens, we actually can make a much bigger difference.”

What about the morality?

In what started as a potential ‘gotcha’ question, Jain was asked, “Taking this position in energy, do you feel it's morally the right position to take?”, he replied somewhat indignantly:

“Look, I think it's actually immoral not to invest in energy. Unless we're willing to live by burning candles or willing to walk rather than drive. In fact, one could argue that reducing supply is a bit elitist with a third of the world still making the transition from wood to something else. We need cheap enough energy for the world to make the transition to get a certain level. You know, 25% of the world doesn't have a power supply yet. So if you raise prices too much, you'll have perverse outcomes. So I believe it's morally wrong to reduce supply. Go to India, go to Africa, go to parts of China, and saying the oil price should double is not a realistic argument.”

So would Jain duck the issue in a more public forum? No, as he expanded at the AGM.

“If you stop producing fossil fuels, 80% of the world will not be able to drive a car. So I think if you look at it realistically, globally, we do need fossil to make the transition to a greener, better world and from a client perspective, our clients understand and appreciate our investment processes and I think we feel pretty comfortable in terms of our core investment proposition.”

Jain answered the question about whether institutional clients are moving away from GQG.

“There’s not enough copper for Europe to switch to EV, let alone the world to switch to EV. It’s kind of fascinating, in fact, we are getting quite a bit of interest and attraction because the majority of global managers have decided not to invest in fossil, which is why a lot of them are struggling. In fact, one could argue the problem with aggressive growth managers is they have no energy … So I think there’s always two sides and look, the world is a big enough place. I’m sure some investors don’t want to invest in fossil while others do want to invest in fossil. So our job is to find like-minded investors who agree that for the world to transition to a greener world, we need energy to allow us to transition.”

ESG definitions and principles are far from settled

It would fair to expect that a company such as Tesla, the market leader in electric vehicles and the move away from gas-guzzling internal combustion engines, would be a priority name for ESG investing. However, Standard & Poor’s Dow Jones recently removed Tesla from the S&P500 ESG index while oil companies remain. Hector McNeil, co-CEO and Founder of HANetf, explained why this happened:

"On the surface, Tesla’s deletion from the S&P500 ESG index looks shocking. Tesla is a real pioneer of climate solutions. Meanwhile, big oil names like Exxon are in there ... If you read the reasoning of SPDJI, it’s quite clear why Tesla was excluded. It doesn’t have a low carbon strategy and has questionable labour practices ... But the key is that there’s no inherent right of Tesla or other EV or battery makers to be in the index.”

Not surprisingly, Elon Musk was unimpressed, tweeting:

The investment industry and regulators are still attempting to define ESG principles, with the US Securities and Exchange Commission announcing proposals to manage the trend to ‘greenwashing’ to take advantage of ESG demand. Investors struggle to know whether a company or fund really values ESG principles or treats it as ‘table stakes’ to win money. The regulations extend to the ‘Names Rule’, or what a fund or fund manager can call itself. SEC Chair Gary Gensler said,

“A fund’s name is often one of the most important pieces of information that investors use in selecting a fund.”

In Australia, Dugald Higgins, Head of Responsible Investment & Real Assets at Zenith, said:

“We are essentially at the point where any company or fund that cannot demonstrate deep environmental, social and governance credentials, which naturally spans a wide range of sustainability and social issues, will simply be ‘uninvestable’ to institutional investors.”

Try telling that to Warren Buffett. In 2022 to date, Berkshire Hathaway has acquired 14.6% of Occidental Petroleum costing US$10 billion and invested US$26 billion into Chevron, making it one of his Top 5 holdings. Analysts say Berkshire has placed a US$40 billion bet on the oil sector.

This article will not venture into the vexed questions of whether adoption of strict ESG principles enhances portfolio returns or the anthropogenic contribution. People want action and ESG investing clearly has a strong future. However, uncertainty about definitions, voluntary nature of ESG disclosures, limited enforcement and need to allow the underprivileged of the world a chance to access cheap energy show the debate about speed of reducing fossil fuel use is far from settled.

In the meantime, some fund managers are benefitting from fossil fuel companies enjoying a surge in prices, and every investor needs to decide whether this fits with their personal morality and understanding of the broader issues.

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Graham Hand is Editor-At-Large for Firstlinks. This article is general information and does not consider the circumstances of any investor.

Graham Hand?is the editorial director of Morningstar Australia.

? 2022?Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither Morningstar, its affiliates, nor the content providers guarantee the data or content contained herein to be accurate, complete or timely nor will they have any liability for its use or distribution. This information is to be used for personal, non-commercial purposes only. No reproduction is permitted without the prior written consent of Morningstar. Any general advice or 'regulated financial advice' under New Zealand law has been prepared by Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), or its Authorised Representatives, and/or Morningstar Research Ltd, subsidiaries of Morningstar, Inc, without reference to your objectives, financial situation or needs. For more information, refer to our?Financial Services Guide (AU)?and?Financial Advice Provider Disclosure Statement (NZ). Our publications, ratings and products should be viewed as an additional investment resource, not as your sole source of information. Morningstar’s full research reports are the source of any Morningstar Ratings and are available from Morningstar or your adviser. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product's future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a licensed financial adviser. Some material is copyright and published under licence from ASX Operations Pty Ltd ACN 004 523 782. The article is current as at date of publication.

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?As the great Bob Dylan sang “Money doesn’t talk it swears”, there are so many wealthy individuals who stand to make far greater fortunes from the fossil fuels.

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The price and scarcity of energy now, in comparison to even 20 years ago when in abundance and cheap, deserves more than a cursory glance at how we ended up in this position.

We need to get used to already huge, but still growing, power prices, heavy industry blackouts (great for an economy on a precipice) and even household blackouts.

I still remember well an elective subject in my 1st year at University, called “The Ecological Development of Man” (today would say “people”). “Technology flourished because energy was cheap”, underpinned the Industrial Revolution and all development since.

After 40 years in research and advertising, I have learned a thing or two about propaganda – no, not some social narrative for a radical and nasty political position. Rather, the influence on and movement of, broad social attitudes and beliefs in the population.

Growing up in Caloundra, on the Sunshine Coast, instilled in me a love of the ocean and the environment in general. I have always been an “environmentalist”, long before it became such a strong topic of public interest. I can remember when people didn’t give stuff about littering and polluting.

My initial career choice was to be a Marine Biologist, but in 1980 jobs were virtually non- existent, outside of academia.

There is no doubt the human population has had a poor to devastating impact upon the environment. (Though “Climate Change” is only one area of concern, it receives the most coverage and support.)

The ”propaganda “ to change the zeitgeist, where now concern for the environment is top of mind, is definitely a good thing. When I first moved to Sydney, the fishing in Sydney harbor was said to be “doubly better” than most ?other places in NSW – the fish had two heads. But seriously, the harbor was terribly polluted. It was only public pressure that “forced” politicians to focus on not just the harbor, but the environment and pollution in general. (Watch the great ABC comedy “Yes Minister/Prime Minster” – if the civil service wants to win their argument, they need only say “there are votes in it.”)

I could go on for a “month of Sunday” listing all the positive initiatives over the past 20 years which have benefited the environment.

BUT now we have Climate Change. It has become a religion. From individuals worth billions trying to buy power companies to shut down their coal mining (“let them eat cake”), through to so many businesses ?which now advertise they are, or headed towards, being carbon neutral.

Want a “fight” at a dinner party? Just utter “I think climate change is bullshit” and watch the crowd ignite like a stick of dynamite. It has become a “not negotiable” position – we MUST reach “net zero” by 2050 (Though I doubt many would know what “net zero” means.).

Climate change is not fantasy, it is fact. But how the developed world, in particular, chases net zero with no consideration of its impact on the majority of the world’s population, is an issue rarely, if ever addressed.

The goal of net zero by 2050, a goal both major parties took to the recent election, seems to be not negotiable. A “done deal”.

Climate change is not in doubt. But how far has it really gone, how bad is it and are we now facing a genuine, imminent climate emergency? The level of propaganda over the past decade or so makes such a question seem to be blasphemous . It is hard to estimate the genuine level of agreement within both the scientific community and the population. What proportion of people genuinely wonder, but are cowed into silence?

Our school and university students have been inundated with propaganda – as Abraham Lincoln said, “the philosophy of the school room in one generation determines the philosophy of government in the next.” (The teachers and tertiary lecturers know this well, as did Antonio Gramsci ?way back in the early 1900s).

In 2008 I spoke at length to a Professor of Geophysics. (I cannot name him or the university at which he was on the academic board) He told me about the ground swell of propaganda that had already swept over academia. Tenure is the goal of most academics – gain a lecturing and research position, preferably at a well- regarded university. To obtain tenure, publication of articles in peer reviewed academic journals is a prerequisite. I was stunned to be told that publication of an article that did not support the “climate change and emerging catastrophe” theory was all but impossible!

“Look at the science” is the familiar cry. This from the population who are overwhelmingly scientifically illiterate. In 1977, 78 & 79, at the University of Queensland’s Biology Department (was and still is one of the premier biology departments in the world) we studied the impending mini-ice age. How has this has now become a global warming crisis ? - not science, but propaganda at work?

Professor Peter Ridd, a highly regarded Geophysicist was fired from James Cook University for his criticism of a study conducted by 2 Marine Biologists. His dismissal was for being “non-collegiate”, not for being wrong. A typical?example of what happens to anyone, irrespective of their credentials and whether they are correct, who goes against the overwhelming narrative.

“Peter Ridd has lived by the Great Barrier Reef for most of his life. He knows it and he loves it. Nothing is so important than its protection and preservation. For more than three decades the Reef and the marine region of which it is a key part have been central to his scientific research.

The conclusion of this measured, evidence-based study is that it is essential that the health and vitality of the Reef and its environs should be jealously protected. Equally,?there is little in its present condition, analysed in the perspective of more than half-a-century, to warrant the alarm and even hysteria which too often mark any discussion or debate about the Reef and the policies promoted by governments purportedly to safeguard its well-being.”

Putting aside the credibility of the science at play, the religious pursuit to eliminate fossil fuels, even as transitional, fails to address.

·?????Renewables ?(hydro, sun& wind) account for only 24% of Australia’s energy needs).?Irrespective of how much some people protest, renewables will NEVER fill the gap. 20th century technology will not answer a 21st century problem.

·?????Hydrogen is the one of the great hopes. The European Commission estimates?between?€180 billion and €470 billion?will be needed before green hydrogen can make up ?just 13-14% of the EU energy mix in 2050 .

·?????Hydrogen is still in its infancy, and only at the point where it requires large amounts of energy (fossil fuels) to convert to energy. It is difficult to contain and highly dangerous. One of the most explosive natural substances, it is invisible when burning.

·?????So what will take the place of fossil fuels to fill the huge void? Sunshine and wind are free, but using them as power sources is not, in fact far from it. A decade of huge power price rises is from the subsidies of renewables, not the cost of fossil fuels. (Coal still accounts for 60% of Australia’s power).

·?????Particularly, high net worth individuals, have invested huge money ?to demonize coal and promote renewables as a viable alternative. (Teals).?Not a word about nuclear, only the renewables from which they gain huge financial rewards. ?A conflict of interest?

·?????The ?huge potential financial windfall of finance for smaller, less developed countries.

·?????Why, in Australia with the world’s largest uranium deposits, is nuclear energy not being considered as an enormously efficient, cheap, and almost limitless source of power, that has no CO2 emissions.? (Chernobyl was 26 years ago, in a low - tech Russian facility. The Fukushima plant was built near an ocean with a high probability of earthquake tsunamis and the 1979 3 Miles Island incident - “Released some radioactive gas a couple of days after the accident, but not enough to cause any dose above background levels to local residents.”

·?????France has the “cheapest” electricity in Europe, mostly derived from nuclear power.

The push for a majority of electric vehicles by 2030 is equally as fanciful. If you live, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, next time you are caught in a peak (3 hour) traffic jam, have a look around and imagine how most of these vehicles will be electric in just over 7 years?

The new Government has a Climate Change Minister. Then again, they have a Minster for Women, when no person of any political significance can answer the question “What is the definition of a woman?” Like something from Monty Python or Faulty Towers “let me introduce you to the minister responsible for, people we can’t define.”

The success of The Teals at the recent election is a significant indicator of strong public concern, though their electorates are not representative of the population. (Hence the “let them eat cake” quote).

What we are witnessing, are political and ideological solutions to a problem of physics and engineering. The emotion dominating the logic.

I am sure this article will cause much gnashing of the teeth, even outrage. I probably run the risk of being “cancelled” by many large companies with “highly developed” social policies. So be it. I am from a generation that places freedom of speech and thought above all else. (Within basic common- sense constraints, not the MeToo fanaticism who want to cancel Picasso). The following is an article by Graham Hand that should be compulsory reading by all who believe we must reach net zero by 2050, without any consideration of the impact and possible alternative solutions:

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Is then fossil fuel narrative simply too convenient?

Graham Hand??|??02 Jun 2022Text size??????|??

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The impact of climate change and the need to move away from fossil fuels is infinitely nuanced. In the 2022 Federal Election, there was a swing to a faster climate change agenda with strong support for The Greens and 'teals'. Then AGL, the country's heaviest carbon emitter, was prevented from demerging its power generation assets by the judgement of Mike Cannon-Brookes and other shareholders that the move would slow the closure of its coal-fired sites. Into this mix comes a $100 billion fund manager, GQG Partners, saying the energy transition may take up to 60 years and it is immoral to underinvest in fossil fuels.

Many portfolio managers privately believe their businesses are too extreme in their anti-fossil stance. In the investment industry where everyone seems to fall over each other to show their green credentials, it is a refreshing change when someone is willing to go on the record to put the other side, not simply whisper in the corridors of their offices.

GQG has some support in Canberra and Perth. Both the new Resources Minister, Madeleine King, and Western Australian Premier, Mark McGowan, are backing the $16.5 billion Scarborough gas project. King said gas has an “important role in the transition to a decarbonised world” and the Government will not support a ban on fossil fuel projects.

It's all about the timing

The prevailing view is that immediate action is needed to prevent catastrophic climate change. The majority of fund managers have adopted strong ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) principles front and centre, and large superannuation funds compete to divest from fossil fuels the quickest. No doubt a motivation is to satisfy their investors and members, as most surveys show climate change is a major issue Australians expect leaders to act on.

An example of the policy intensity on fossil fuels soon surfaced after the election. Dr Monique Ryan, the conqueror of Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, said she wants a 60% emissions reduction target by 2030, much higher than Labor’s current 43% level. She said Anthony Albanese needs to be “…?prepared to come to the table on effective and immediate action”. Maybe Mr Albanese is not quaking in his boots now he has a majority in the Lower House.?

The reality of a long transition from fossil fuels

GQG Partners held its first Annual General Meeting on 27 April 2022 following its listing on the ASX in October 2021. Rajiv Jain is the Executive Chairman, Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager at GQG. At the AGM, leading activist Stephen Mayne asked the following question:

“Executive Chair Rajiv Jain made some very strong comments at a forum in February saying that reducing investment in fossil fuels was elitist and immoral because of the impact it could have on developing economies ... can Rajiv update shareholders on what responses to these comments have been from stakeholders?”

Good question, so what exactly had Jain said? Speaking at a Portfolio Construction Forum on 23 February 2022, in a presentation with the provocative title of ‘Growth managers that lack energy may be left out in the cold’, Jain said (with some paraphrasing):

“We believe that investors have always made a bit of an ideological call not to invest in fossil ... Like so many times, there's a narrative that is convenient, but most of the time, the narrative takes a life of its own and becomes too strong a belief which ultimately tends to negatively impact returns. And I think if you look at the energy side, we believe that the narrative seems to be way too convenient.”

The devil is in the detail, said Jain, as the transition is much longer and more complex.

“Because if we choke off capital to fossil, whether it's oil and gas, coal, and so on, the narrative is that we would be better off. Well, it's ideological, there's no commercial merit to it. And the reason is that if you don't do anything with demand, choking off or reducing supply will only create a crisis ... The biggest problem on the energy front is capex, as the vast majority of banks are under pressure not to lend to the oil and gas industry. And capex has gone down by almost 40% over the last seven or eight years, which is very different to 2010 when everybody believed in the commodity supercycle, Chinese urbanisation and emerging market growth.”

(Published with the permission of GQG Partners and Portfolio Construction Forum)

Jain explained how the free cash flow from many high-quality energy companies, such as Exxon, has risen rapidly, but investors are missing the opportunity that will last a long time.

“We feel that investors are making non-commercial decisions, because these energy transitions last, if you look at human history, they last decades. And in those transitions, you need companies that are part of the solution, not part of the problem. So we should squeeze out bad players, bad actors, but some of the good actors are needed because otherwise you'll get an energy crisis. In fact, you're seeing demand for coal going up and coal prices have gone up because ironically, there's a gas shortage when the wind didn't blow (in Europe), and we were having power shortages. They've been forced to actually import more coal and so we might be having a perverse outcome if we're not careful. Our job is to find companies that are good that are truly part of the solution, which will allow us to make the transition to clean a better world. We feel a lot of growth managers have become too complacent. In fact, 65% to 70% of global growth managers have no energy.”

Jain argues that forcing fossil fuel companies into private equity hands is the worst outcome as their business practices will move away from the gaze of active managers in the listed, regulated space. Aspirations for 2030 are ahead of what is technically possible to meet energy demand.

“I think that's the sad part, that it'll take a long time to truly transition. This transition could last 40, 50, 60 years. And the question is, to what extent will it be successful, because we need to find a lot of other commodities to make that transition. As you know, electric vehicles are six times more copper-intensive. Well, we need to find a lot of copper to be able to make the transition. So we feel buying better companies, trying to lean on management to get their act together and be better corporate citizens, we actually can make a much bigger difference.”

What about the morality?

In what started as a potential ‘gotcha’ question, Jain was asked, “Taking this position in energy, do you feel it's morally the right position to take?”, he replied somewhat indignantly:

“Look, I think it's actually immoral not to invest in energy. Unless we're willing to live by burning candles or willing to walk rather than drive. In fact, one could argue that reducing supply is a bit elitist with a third of the world still making the transition from wood to something else. We need cheap enough energy for the world to make the transition to get a certain level. You know, 25% of the world doesn't have a power supply yet. So if you raise prices too much, you'll have perverse outcomes. So I believe it's morally wrong to reduce supply. Go to India, go to Africa, go to parts of China, and saying the oil price should double is not a realistic argument.”

So would Jain duck the issue in a more public forum? No, as he expanded at the AGM.

“If you stop producing fossil fuels, 80% of the world will not be able to drive a car. So I think if you look at it realistically, globally, we do need fossil to make the transition to a greener, better world and from a client perspective, our clients understand and appreciate our investment processes and I think we feel pretty comfortable in terms of our core investment proposition.”

Jain answered the question about whether institutional clients are moving away from GQG.

“There’s not enough copper for Europe to switch to EV, let alone the world to switch to EV. It’s kind of fascinating, in fact, we are getting quite a bit of interest and attraction because the majority of global managers have decided not to invest in fossil, which is why a lot of them are struggling. In fact, one could argue the problem with aggressive growth managers is they have no energy … So I think there’s always two sides and look, the world is a big enough place. I’m sure some investors don’t want to invest in fossil while others do want to invest in fossil. So our job is to find like-minded investors who agree that for the world to transition to a greener world, we need energy to allow us to transition.”

ESG definitions and principles are far from settled

It would fair to expect that a company such as Tesla, the market leader in electric vehicles and the move away from gas-guzzling internal combustion engines, would be a priority name for ESG investing. However, Standard & Poor’s Dow Jones recently removed Tesla from the S&P500 ESG index while oil companies remain. Hector McNeil, co-CEO and Founder of HANetf, explained why this happened:

"On the surface, Tesla’s deletion from the S&P500 ESG index looks shocking. Tesla is a real pioneer of climate solutions. Meanwhile, big oil names like Exxon are in there ... If you read the reasoning of SPDJI, it’s quite clear why Tesla was excluded. It doesn’t have a low carbon strategy and has questionable labour practices ... But the key is that there’s no inherent right of Tesla or other EV or battery makers to be in the index.”

Not surprisingly, Elon Musk was unimpressed, tweeting:

The investment industry and regulators are still attempting to define ESG principles, with the US Securities and Exchange Commission announcing proposals to manage the trend to ‘greenwashing’ to take advantage of ESG demand. Investors struggle to know whether a company or fund really values ESG principles or treats it as ‘table stakes’ to win money. The regulations extend to the ‘Names Rule’, or what a fund or fund manager can call itself. SEC Chair Gary Gensler said,

“A fund’s name is often one of the most important pieces of information that investors use in selecting a fund.”

In Australia, Dugald Higgins, Head of Responsible Investment & Real Assets at Zenith, said:

“We are essentially at the point where any company or fund that cannot demonstrate deep environmental, social and governance credentials, which naturally spans a wide range of sustainability and social issues, will simply be ‘uninvestable’ to institutional investors.”

Try telling that to Warren Buffett. In 2022 to date, Berkshire Hathaway has acquired 14.6% of Occidental Petroleum costing US$10 billion and invested US$26 billion into Chevron, making it one of his Top 5 holdings. Analysts say Berkshire has placed a US$40 billion bet on the oil sector.

This article will not venture into the vexed questions of whether adoption of strict ESG principles enhances portfolio returns or the anthropogenic contribution. People want action and ESG investing clearly has a strong future. However, uncertainty about definitions, voluntary nature of ESG disclosures, limited enforcement and need to allow the underprivileged of the world a chance to access cheap energy show the debate about speed of reducing fossil fuel use is far from settled.

In the meantime, some fund managers are benefitting from fossil fuel companies enjoying a surge in prices, and every investor needs to decide whether this fits with their personal morality and understanding of the broader issues.

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Graham Hand is Editor-At-Large for Firstlinks. This article is general information and does not consider the circumstances of any investor.

Graham Hand?is the editorial director of Morningstar Australia.

? 2022?Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither Morningstar, its affiliates, nor the content providers guarantee the data or content contained herein to be accurate, complete or timely nor will they have any liability for its use or distribution. This information is to be used for personal, non-commercial purposes only. No reproduction is permitted without the prior written consent of Morningstar. Any general advice or 'regulated financial advice' under New Zealand law has been prepared by Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), or its Authorised Representatives, and/or Morningstar Research Ltd, subsidiaries of Morningstar, Inc, without reference to your objectives, financial situation or needs. For more information, refer to our?Financial Services Guide (AU)?and?Financial Advice Provider Disclosure Statement (NZ). Our publications, ratings and products should be viewed as an additional investment resource, not as your sole source of information. Morningstar’s full research reports are the source of any Morningstar Ratings and are available from Morningstar or your adviser. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product's future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a licensed financial adviser. Some material is copyright and published under licence from ASX Operations Pty Ltd ACN 004 523 782. The article is current as at date of publication.

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?As the great Bob Dylan sang “Money doesn’t talk it swears”, there are so many wealthy individuals who stand to make far greater fortunes from the fossil fuels.