Dear Acting Chair Allison Herren-Lee,
As a resident, concerned about climate change and the impact it has on our economy, I’m writing to express my support for your proposed rule to require publicly-traded companies to disclose climate-related financial risk information (S7-10-22).
Climate change is impacting every region of the world, and its effects - including extreme weather and related climate-fueled disasters - are accelerating. The financial risks posed by climate change to investors, other market participants and the economy are real, and well documented by numerous government studies. Investors and other market participants deserve to have all the information they need to make informed decisions in the face of climate impacts.
The economic impact of climate change is clear. Last year in the U.S. alone, climate change-fueled extreme weather events caused more than $145 billion worth of damage. Over the next decade, climate disasters are predicted to increase both in number and severity. These events, from increasingly severe wildfires to more frequent flooding, affect numerous corporate assets and operations, putting pressure on essential supply chains, posing harm to facilities, and undermining the ability of businesses to meet targets. Investors need to be aware of how companies are impacted by the financial risks of climate change when making decisions about their portfolios.
This rule will provide investors with information about companies’ climate-related financial risks in a reliable, consistent, and comparable manner so they can make informed investment decisions. The rule will also put the U.S. on closer footing with other countries that are already requiring these types of climate-related disclosures from companies. We need transparent information about climate-related investment risks. Thank you for proposing this rule, and I urge the SEC to finalize it as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your leadership,