Read the summary of LGT's third annual Climate Conference, including key remarks from global leaders and featured speakers on investment opportunities in the energy transition.
On a bright Sydney morning at Taronga Zoo, LGT welcomed global leaders, investors, scientists and changemakers to its third annual climate conference - a gathering defined by optimism, urgency and opportunity. With climate impacts increasingly felt across Australia, the conference set out to answer not just "if" we act, but "how fast, how boldly, and how united" we can be in accelerating the energy transition.
Opening the event, H.S.H. Prince Max von und zu Liechtenstein, Chairman of LGT, set the tone for the day:
We want to be forward-looking for generations. Climate change is a mega-trend with broad and long-term consequences. Our aim is not only to understand these trends but to position ourselves, and our clients, to take advantage of the resulting transformations and investment opportunities.
Prince Max emphasised the economic imperative of aligning capital with climate action, scaling breakthrough technologies, restoring natural carbon sinks and supporting policy reform. He called for investors and business leaders to "allocate more capital to scale new and superior technologies and business models", highlighting the dual potential for impact and attractive financial returns.
The keynote address was delivered by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and global climate activist Al Gore. His presence underscored the conference's global significance and the urgency of the climate challenge.
Matt Kean, Chair of the Climate Change Authority and former NSW Treasurer and Energy Minister, followed with a powerful message:
Decarbonising our economies is not an option, it's a necessity. We owe it to the generations to come that we get it done, and we get it done right.
Kean celebrated Australia's recent milestone - renewables overtaking coal in the national grid - and outlined the scale of investment required: tripling utility-scale solar, quadrupling wind capacity, and expanding battery storage sixfold by 2035. He stressed that "the magnitude of the transformation is immense, so too are the investment opportunities that will come with it."
Dr Jackie Brown, CSIRO climate scientist, provided a sobering yet hopeful overview of Australia's climate risks and resilience:
If I had given this talk 20 years ago, it would have been to convince you climate change was real. Now, it's about what we do next.
Brown highlighted the importance of ongoing climate monitoring and adaptation, noting that Australia is already experiencing 1.5°C of warming. She urged investors and policymakers to prepare for more frequent and severe heatwaves, droughts, bushfires and floods, and to support innovation in renewable energy systems and resilient infrastructure.
The conference's investment panel, hosted by Head of Sustainable Investments Amanda MacDonald, featured Pål Erik Sjåtil (Lightrock Impact), Tom Kline (Climate Tech Partners) and Tom McQuillan (ReGen Ventures), showcased the dynamism of climate investing:
Sjåtil described Lightrock's approach to building "great companies that deliver outsized returns for investors and make a difference", with a dedicated mandate to the energy transition and a portfolio growing at 50% annually. He noted, "We've gone from pledges to action and realism. Solar and wind are now the cheapest energy sources, and the grid is the nerve system of the energy transition."
Kline encouraged investors to "be equally exposed to the upside and opportunity from climate", emphasising the importance of scaling existing solutions and leveraging corporate partnerships to de-risk investments.
McQuillen added, "You can't shame and guilt people into changing behaviour at massive scale. You've just got to find stuff that's better, cheaper, faster, and makes great economic sense." He highlighted the potential for climate tech to deliver top-decile venture returns and described innovative companies in forestry, fire prevention and AI-driven energy management.
Throughout the day, speakers and participants returned to a central theme: the energy transition is not only a necessity but an unprecedented investment opportunity. Australia's abundant resources, policy stability and innovative spirit position it as a leader in the global shift to clean energy
As Michael Chisholm, CEO of LGT Wealth Management, concluded:
History shows that humankind has a remarkable ability to innovate and address issues that challenge our wellbeing. I firmly believe in the power of private capital to help solve these challenges and to scale up solutions. The energy transition is just one of the mega trends shaping investment portfolios for generations to come.
LGT Wealth Management invites all investors, families and partners to join us in driving impact and change - combining great investment outcomes with a commitment to a better future. The journey to a sustainable, prosperous tomorrow starts here.
Read the event summary and watch the videos of our speaker presentations.
