WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued an important and thoughtful proposal to require mandatory climate financial risk disclosure from public companies. We look forward to commenting on ways that the proposal must be strengthened, in particular with respect to greenhouse gas emissions reporting and corporate climate-related impacts on communities.
Americans for Financial Reform delivered 16,658 petition signatures calling on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to make it mandatory for large companies and banks to disclose their total greenhouse gas emissions, including financed emissions, to investors and the public.
AFREF submitted comments to the National Credit Union Administration on its strategic plan for 2022-26, urging further incorporation and consideration of climate change, environmental, economic, and racial justice within its strategic goals and regulatory agenda.
Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund (AFREF) applauds the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for seeking comment on this strong first draft of principles to guide large banks on how to manage the risk that climate change poses to their safety and soundness.
Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund (AFREF) submitted comments to the Labor Department supporting a proposed rule that will allow and encourage private retirement plans and pensions to consider sustainability factors like climate change, workers’ rights, racial, economic and environmental justice, and corporate governance when investing and voting proxies.
Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund and Sierra Club were joined by 13 organizations in a comment letter to the DOL supporting a proposal to encourage fiduciaries to consider climate change and ESG factors, and calling for further actions to standardize sustainable investing for private retirement plans and pensions.
AFREF sent a letter to the Treasury’s Federal Insurance Office (FIO) on how the agency can coordinate with state insurance regulators and insurers to have the necessary data, supervisory framework, and prudential regulation in a world where climate-related losses continue to rise and pose risks to the entire financial system.
The Sierra Club, Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund, and Public Citizen released an analysis of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) report on climate-related financial risk. The analysis outlines the report’s disappointing lack of urgency and details the missed opportunities to chart a comprehensive course
Acting Comptroller Michael Hsu announced that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) plans to develop climate risk supervisory expectations for large banks and issue guidance for comment by the end of the year. Over the past year, Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund and partners have urged the OCC and other banking regulators to take this important initial step immediately. We applaud Acting Comptroller Hsu for his leadership on this issue and we urge the other regulators to follow suit and issue guidance by the end of the year.
Americans for Financial Reform and allies today rallied in front of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors to highlight Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s failure to protect the U.S. economy from major systemic threats like climate change, racial and economic inequality, excessive risk-taking from the big banks, and private equity firms extracting wealth from communities and workers across the nation.