HSBC has suspended its asset management arm’s global head of responsible investing following comments he made about climate change at a London conference last week — remarks that have drawn criticism from the bank’s chief executive and other senior leaders.

Stuart Kirk, who was speaking at a Financial Times Moral Money conference in London on 19 May, gave a speech titled “Why investors need not worry about climate risk” in which he criticised central bankers and policymakers for overstating climate risks by trying to “out-hyperbole the next guy”.