AllianceBernstein and Columbia Climate School's National Center for Disaster Preparedness Unveil Natural Hazards Index Tool

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Apr 18, 2023, 08:30 ET

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.

SOURCE AllianceBernstein