Modeling interdependence between climatic factors, commodities, and financial markets

Abstract

This paper introduces a comprehensive approach to studying the impact of climate-related factors on commodity and financial markets using network analysis. We utilize a Bayesian network Vector Autoregressive model to investigate whether climate risk significantly influ-ences commodity prices and financial market returns. Our findings provide evidence of a climate effect on major commodities and global financial markets. Specifically, we identify Crude oil, Cotton, and Sugar as the commodities most affected by climate risk, with Gold demonstrating the least susceptibility. Additionally, we observe that climate-related risk on commodities is likely propagated by patterns such as PNA, NN1, and AO. In terms of financial markets, we find that stock markets in Hong Kong, India, and Spain are the most susceptible to climate risk, while Switzerland’s market appears to be the least affected. Furthermore, we document evidence that climate-related risk capable of altering financial markets is likely propagated by factors like ENP, NN1, and WH. Overall, our study underscores the intricate relationship between climate factors and market dynamics, highlighting the importance of considering climate risk in assessing market behavior and performance.