Sep. 15, 2022
Dear Chair Gensler: Thank you for taking steps to make it easier for investors like me to understand climate risk. As an investor, I want to do a couple of things—invest in environmentally responsible companies and maximize my returns. To do this, I need to know whether or not a company is preparing to be successful in a low-carbon world. As I understand it, more and more economies are adopting policies and taking steps to align with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Companies not working to reduce their Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse emissions may not be prepared for that future. Without this information, I won't be able to tell which companies are likely to remain profitable as the economy transitions to clean energy and which companies could put my savings at risk. Earlier this summer, you proposed a rule requiring publicly traded companies to disclose "material" Scope 3 emissions. Many investors, both asset managers and individual investors like me, asked you to make this a requirement for all large public companies. I’m hopeful you will listen to the voices of regular people like me, not just big corporations looking to hide their risks. Thank you for doing everything in your power to ensure that investors like me have the information we need to be able to make smart investing decisions for a low-carbon future. I look forward to seeing strong greenhouse gas disclosures, inclusive of Scope 3 emissions, in your final ruling later this year. Thank you. Deborah Hogshead