The head of investments at Finland’s Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co. says his industry is “just starting to see what kind of new challenges negative rates will cause.” The steps he’s taken so far have led away from easy-to-sell assets, as liquidity becomes a luxury. It’s a way to preserve returns, but means delving into assets that might be hard to offload.

From London to Switzerland to parts of the U.S., the rich are looking to store precious metals, cash and cryptocurrency. For some, it’s the threat of a global recession. Others are avoiding bank deposits as negative interest rates force lenders to charge for holding cash. Many are concerned about natural disasters.

A new business field could open for German banks from 2020: the sale and custody of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies. The draft law passed by the German parliament will make this easier. Banks will be able to offer to their clients in online banking in addition to classic securities such as shares and bonds also the buying of crypto currencies.

The market for green bonds has exploded, with global sales increasing by more than 300% in the past five years to reach $162 billion this year. The Bloomberg Barclays Euro Green Bond Index shows a total return of 18% since 2014. Investors appear entirely unwilling to forgo wealth to invest in environmentally sustainable projects.

Gold has always been used to measure the value of currencies and commodities. In euros, gold reached an all-time high in early September. More and more investors fear an economic downturn, but bonds have become a costly haven due to negative interest rates. On 4th January 1999 one euro bought 128mg of gold. Now it buys only 23mg.

An influx of new offshore wind farms around the world is set to draw $840 billion of investments over the next two decades. Additions of 20 GW of new offshore capacity a year still won’t be enough to hit global climate targets. Capacity additions would need to be near to 40 GW a year in the next decade, adding over $1.2 trillion of investment.

With rates now well below zero, even Denmark’s $440 billion pension system says the environment has become so punishing that it may be time for a change in European rules. The warning comes as pension firms across Europe struggle to generate the returns they need to cover their growing obligations.

EDF issued a warning on Wednesday that its Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in Somerset, UK may see construction costs dramatically increase. An even longer delay can be found at a plant being built in Finland. In 2011 the profits across the industry from energy generation were £2.4 Billion ($3.0 billion) to just £751 million ($931 million) in 2018.

At $121 billion, worldwide green bond sales this year are already 57% higher than at this point in 2018. Sweden’s longest-dated issue currently in existence is a 3.5% bond repayable in 2039 that yields about zero. Sweden should expand its horizons by offering investors the longest-dated green bond ever seen.

According to the estimates by the European Commission, implementing the strategy will require an increase in spending to 2.8% of the European Union’s GDP, translating to €520 to €575 billion a year in total for the entire Union’s economy. For the Polish power sector alone, the estimated financial investments will amount to €215 billion over 2020-2045.

Renewable energy such as wind power can create problems for the National Grid. Gas and coal-fired power stations have more flexibility. When one drops off it's easier for another to pick up the slack. Wind power is less effective as a "shock absorber" to shifts in supply and demand, according to the energy analyst.

After three years of decline, global energy investment stabilized in 2018 at over USD 1.8 trillion. Investment was driven by higher upstream oil, gas and coal supply spending while that in energy efficiency was stable and renewables spending edged down, adjusted for costs, renewables investment is up 55% since 2010.