Mar. 31, 2022
Dear Chair Gary Gensler, As our government's chief financial regulator, your agency is responsible for making certain that public companies provide their investors’ information to help them protect their investments. Your agency’s new rule on the Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors (S7-10-22) is a critical step forward toward fulfilling your mandate. As a scientist, I’m extremely worried about how heat-trapping emissions and rapidly worsening the climate crisis are threatening the viability of our world. There will be major disruptions including to human health and our financial and economic systems. I insist the Commission adopt the strongest, most comprehensive rule without delay. In particular, the final rule should mandate and standardize the required disclosure by publicly listed companies of ALL heat-trapping emissions associated with its corporate operations, products, and supply chains. This must include Scope 3 emissions as they can account for 80-90 percent of companies’ total emissions in some sectors. Swift adoption, implementation, and enforcement of a strong rule will push businesses to meet the demands of international capital markets and ensure investors have consistent and comparable data to make fully informed decisions. This information will help customers and investors to hold corporations accountable for their impacts on the climate. As well as their plans to mitigate those impacts, and their progress in achieving those plans and their climate-related goals and targets. Please protect our financial system from climate-induced risk by passing a strong, science-based climate disclosure rule as soon as possible. Sincerely, Dr. Bruce Hlodnicki Indianapolis, IN 46226