Eric Jondeau, Benoit Mojon, Cyril Monnet 16 April 2021
The momentum towards greening the economy implies transition risks that represent new threats to financial stability. The risk of a run on brown assets, similar to that seen during the subprime crisis, can have widespread destabilising effects. This column proposes a liquidity backstop with an access fee proportional to carbon emissions, and a borrowing rate independent of emissions. It argues that such a facility will help green the economy, re-establish production efficiency, and avoid highly inefficient runs. An orderly reallocation of capital to a greener economy can lift long-term growth and facilitate the post-Covid recovery.