HSBC suspends responsible investing head over climate comments

The logo on the building of HSBC's London headquarters appears through the early morning mist in London's Canary Wharf financial district.

The Reuters -- HSBC Holdings suspended its head of responsible investing pending an internal investigation, after he said central bank policymakers and other global authorities are exaggerating the financial risks of climate change, according to people with knowledge of the process.

HSBC senior banker Stuart Kirk made comments at a conference hosted by the FT on Thursday, drawing criticism from climate activists.

According to the FT, the title of the presentation - Why investors should not worry about climate risk - had been set two months earlier and had been posted on the conference's website.

In a post on Saturday, HSBC CEO Noel Quinn said that his bank will not be distracted from its ambition to lead the global economy in the transition to net zero.

An HSBC spokeswoman said the company could not comment on individual employees.