March 21, 2022
I am strongly in favor of requiring companies to disclose their effects on climate change, including Scope 3 emissions for large companies. As an investor, I consider this to be vital information for two reasons. First, I believe that a company's current climate impacts are important information in determining the company's risk over time. As the effects of climate change worsen, regulations on polluting companies will tighten around the world. Companies that have farther to go to curb their emissions will have to do more to meet new regulations. The costs of sources of greenhouse gasses themselves are also increasing over time. Again, the more a company is reliant on equipment and processes that use fossil fuels, the harder they will be hit by higher prices and reduced demand. I cannot assess the long term risk - and increasingly cannot even assess the short term risk - of an investment without information about their climate impacts.
Secondly, and more importantly for me, I am a human being alive on the planet in 2022, and I have a son who I hope will be alive on the planet for many years. I do not want to put my investment resources into companies that are contributing to making the planet potentially unlivable for human beings. I do not want to support climate catastrophe and mass extinction with my investments. I do very much want to reward companies that are in the forefront of adapting to protect the planet and future generations. I cannot make these investment decisions without accurate and complete information about the climate impacts of companies.
Please require disclosure of all climate impacts, including Scope 3 impacts for large companies. Thank you