HSBC suspends head of responsible investing who called climate warnings ‘shrill’

The waterfront at Sunny Isles, Florida, US, an area identified as one of the most susceptible to rising sea levels due to global heating. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty

HSBC has suspended a senior banker after he referred to climate crisis warnings as “unsubstantiated” and “shrill” during a conference speech that has since been denounced by the lender’s chief executive.

Stuart Kirk, who has been HSBC’s head of responsible investing since last July, will remain suspended until the bank completes an internal investigation into the matter.