Mubadala Investment Company is partnering with Bloomberg Media to launch its Megatrends Study, revealing that climate change is the greatest threat to the world, with digital technologies providing the best opportunity for a sustainable future.
The study surveyed over 1,800 global investors, Millennials, and Gen Z consumers from six countries, with France, the UK, the UAE, and India agreeing that climate change is the biggest risk.
Respondents from India and the UAE were also most in favor of a transition to a low-carbon economy. Digital technologies were seen as the most likely megatrend to advance the wellbeing of the world, with India, the US, China, and the UAE leading the way.
The study also found that business has a significant role to play in leading the way to the future. Mubadala is investing in energy transition, traditional and digital infrastructure, life sciences, and technology to achieve value creation while contributing to a sustainable future.
In recent years, the company has made significant deals in India, including a $1.2 billion investment in Jio Platforms and a $809 million investment in Reliance Retail Ventures Limited. Mubadala also made a $535 million acquisition of a stake with BlackRock Real Estate in Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd. in April 2022 to support India’s renewable energy independence and transition.
Other key findings noted by the Megatrends Study include:
- Respondents strongly agree that inequalities impact the economy, society, and the political environment
- Respondents agree urbanization brings significant economic and social advantages and disadvantages
- Respondents are mixed on demographic shifts’ impact on quality of life. While India and the UAE feel this most strongly at 93% and 91% respectively, France and the UK rate the impact lower at 82% and 79%
Mubadala’s interest in renewable energy spans more than 15 years and began when it founded Masdar, which is active in more than 35 countries across six continents, ranging from the world’s largest single-site solar power plant in the UAE with a capacity of 2GW to Indonesia’s first floating solar power plant, which will provide enough electricity to power 50,000 homes. Mubadala’s recent partnership with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA) on Masdar at the end of 2022 is designed to create a global clean energy powerhouse by propelling Masdar’s renewable power capacity to 100GW.