Natural Hazards Index Tool is accessible to
the public via an online application
NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 18,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AllianceBernstein Holding L.P.
(NYSE: AB), a leading global investment management and research
firm, and the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at
the Columbia Climate School announced today the launch of version
2.0 of the Natural Hazards Index (NHI) map application.
This NHI tool is the latest development of the continued
collaboration between AB and the Columbia Climate School, featuring
an interactive, publicly available application that examines
physical climate hazard data in the
United States. Developed by the NCDP and updated under this
collaboration with AB, this map is now one of the most up-to-date,
innovative tools that examine weather and climate change
vulnerabilities, such as extreme heat and natural hazards, in
communities and regions across the United
States and Puerto Rico. The
tool provides census tract-level granularity of these hazards
across 14 different hazard layers, including extreme heat, drought,
hurricanes, tornados, and more.
NCDP has engaged with AB investors for more than a year to
develop the NHI Tool by updating and refining disparate datasets
and identifying and adding new data, which resulted in an expanded
and improved centralized dashboard. AB is beginning to incorporate
the NHI Tool into its investments in municipalities and securitized
assets to analyze and better evaluate the various hazards related
to physical climate risk and their impact on some of AB's
fixed-income strategies.
"Climate change can present material investment risks and
opportunities that we seek to manage on behalf of our clients,"
said AB's Director of ESG Data and Technology John Huang. "The Columbia Climate School
continues to be a critical partner in supporting our investment
teams' efforts to integrate material climate factors into the
investment process, where applicable. This innovative tool
represents AB's differentiated approach to partnership and data,
layering on our internal insights as an active manager when it
comes to understanding the potential impact of climate change on
asset values and cash flows."
"Since the launch of version 1.0 of this map, we have been
impressed with its utility and depth of reach across many sectors
and communities," said Senior Staff Associate and Project Lead at
NCDP Jonathan Sury. "Through this partnership, we are thrilled to
be releasing this major upgrade. We have thoughtfully curated the
most current publicly available hazard data and compiled them into
an easy-to-understand format, taking the guesswork out of
navigating complex data from multiple sources."
"Managing risk in the face of a changing disaster landscape
starts with understanding our exposure to hazards. From there,
individuals, organizations, and communities can make more informed
investments on what steps to take to mitigate against these
hazards," said Director of NCDP Jeff
Schlegelmilch. "This updated tool is one part of a broader
suite of information that can be used to improve how we invest in
resilience at all levels of society."
"This tool reflects our continued commitment to managing
material climate risks and opportunities in partnership with the
renowned experts at Columbia Climate School," said AB's Chief
Responsibility Officer Erin Bigley.
"Our work with NCDP highlights the unique research capabilities and
synergies of both our investors and Columbia's leading scientists and how we can
use these insights to better prepare our clients for the
future."
The tool will remain publicly available for use.
For more information on the work for NCDP and to visit the
dashboard, please click here.
About AllianceBernstein
AllianceBernstein is a leading global investment management firm
that offers high-quality research and diversified investment
services to institutional investors, individuals, and private
wealth clients in major world markets. As of March 31, 2023, AllianceBernstein had
$676 billion in assets under
management. Additional information about AB may be found on our
website, www.alliancebernstein.com.
About NCDP
The National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP), Columbia
Climate School, at Columbia University
works to understand and improve the capacity to prepare for,
respond to, and recover from disasters. NCDP focuses on the
readiness of governmental and non-governmental systems; the
complexities of population recovery; the power of community
engagement; and the risks of human vulnerability.
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SOURCE AllianceBernstein