Sep. 16, 2022
Dear Chair Gensler, I am writing to thank you for taking steps to make it easier for investors like me and my husband to understand climate risk. As an investor looking to maximize my returns, I need to know whether or not a company is preparing to be successful in a low-carbon world. 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 what companies are likely to continue to be profitable as the economy transitions to clean energy and which companies could put my savings at risk. As individuals, we want to do what we can to have a positive influence on other people concerning global warming - i.e. global heating, droughts and floods, which are already costing millions of dollars a day. Who know when a climate catastrophe will hit us and can we afford if? Earlier this summer you proposed a rule to require 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, and we am hopeful that you will listen to the voices of regular people like me, not just big corporations looking to hide their risks. We are all in this world together. We do not want to invest in companies controlled by people who are only thinking about making money for themselves regardless of how it affects millions of other people. We need to know which companies to trust. As you look to finalize these rules, I want to thank you for doing everything in your power to ensure that investors like me and my husband have the information we need to be able to make smart investing decisions for a low-carbon future. We are very much looking forward to seeing quite strong greenhouse gas disclosures, inclusive of Scope 3 emissions, in your final ruling later this year. Thank you, Sissy and Peter Aron