(Reuters) HSBC Holdings (NYSE) suspended the head of responsible investment in the midst of an internal investigation. He claimed that central bank policymakers, and other international authorities, exaggerated the financial risk of climate change. The Financial Times quoted people who were familiar with the matter on Sunday.

Stuart Kirk, senior banker at HSBC, made these comments during a conference held by the FT Thursday. This drew criticism from climate activists.

According to the FT the title of the presentation – “Why investors should not be concerned about climate risk” – was set 2 months prior and posted on the website before the event.

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

According to an HSBC spokesperson, the company cannot comment on specific employees.