Apr. 28, 2022
Hello,
On behalf of the Science Museum of Minnesota, I am writing in support of proposed rule S7-10-22: The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors. The Science Museum is a private, non-profit and thus not a registrant to the Securities and Exchange Commission, but the institution nonetheless has standing regarding this proposed rule:
The museum accepts the overwhelming scientific evidence that human-caused climate change is an existential threat. Therefore, it is vitally important that financial resources be redirected away quickly from climate-harming economic activities and instead toward those that accelerate the rapid decarbonization of the U.S. economy. Transparency regarding a registrants contributions to climate change and vulnerability to climate-related risks is essential in helping investors to make climate-savvy decisions.
The Science Museum has an endowment it manages using environmental, social, and governance principles. Ensuring the museums investments do not conflict with its stance on climate change and, in fact, are aligned with the museums climate activism would be aided by the proposed rule changes that would require SEC registrants to disclose information about their direct greenhouse gas emissions and indirect emissions from purchased electricity or other forms of energy.
The Science Museum of Minnesota has slashed its greenhouse emissions by 86 percent since 2014. It is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 the target date by when the U.S. economy needs to have achieved at least a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the base year of 2005 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Achieving this goal will require an all-of-society approach and will necessitate investors having the best information possible to help accelerate greenhouse gas reductions. Proposed rule S7-10-22 is critical in helping to redirect trillions of dollars away from investments in climate-harming activities and into climate beneficial ones.
Sincerely,
Alison Brown
President